At 10:45pm, Alexis and Debbie walked through the arrival gate at Ben Gurion airport here in Israel. I immediately ran over to greet them with a full embrace and without dry eyes. A certain ease and peacefulness came over them--and they seemed be be comforted by a familiar face and were especially comforted by the fact they were on Israeli soil.
Overwhelmed by the outpouring of support in Canada, back home, by friends, family and strangers and by the intensity of the reality of being here, I sensed a lot of relief from both of them once they arrived.
Once we got all the bags in the taxi and headed towards the centre of Tel viv--their hope was even more realized and even more so after meeting with the doctors.
The journey for Alexis had begun and as her nurse put it so gently, “we are in a hurray but not in a rush.”
The way the doctors responded to Alexis was exactly the type of medicine that she really needed--one that she came so far to realize even more--a dose of hope.
It’s hard not to think of the connection between hope and Israel, as the nations anthem in its literal translation means Hope, or, in hebrew, Hatikva--which, in a way, makes it even more meaningful that she is here.
In addition, one of the doctors face lit up after Alexis shared with him how well her body responded after her last transplant. The doctors entire aura eased up--and, the climate and energy of the room suddenly became one of hope and optimism.
Alexis’ spirit, fight and beautiful smile remain strong and vibrant as she begins her journey here in Israel.
As difficult of a time this is-- and is perhaps suppose to be, we are remaining positive and enjoying our time together. Learning a lot from one another, consoling each other and venting--being real--no bullshit--there’s no time for bullshit--not today, tomorrow or yesterday.
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