I haven’t written since the war started because I don’t know exactly what to say. I haven’t written because I don’t want to sit in front of the computer screen crying. I haven’t written because I don’t want to scare those of you reading this from far away. I haven’t written because I don’t really want to describe what it feels like to kiss your beautiful, perfect sons goodnight, knowing that so many other moms in this country (and in your own neighborhood) are only praying that they’ll get to kiss theirs again soon. I haven’t written because there really are not words to describe what it’s like to live in a place that is at war – in a place where you wake up one morning to hear that many of your neighbors have gone off to fight. I haven’t written because I don’t really want to describe the sounds of bombs going off and the look of planes flying overhead – both of which can be seen from our home. I haven’t written because I have no words to describe the heroism and determination of those who eagerly go off to fight, hoping to defend their country and to live up to their heritage. I haven’t written because this country bleeds war – if we were to have a moment of silence for every bombing we’ve experienced, for every death from a terrorist’s hands, for every war, we would be a perpetually silent country.

For these reasons, I haven’t written.

May our soldiers return safely and may our country know peace and quiet sometime soon.