Homecoming
She waited a long time—longer than any mother should ever have to wait. Every day, she sat by the entrance of her tent, watching every passing shadow, believing that the approaching footsteps might be her son’s. She wept until her tears ran dry, yet hope clung fast to her heart. Then, finally, he returned to her. He did not return as the son she had dreamed of holding to her chest; instead, he came back as the mere remnants of a human being—a skull and some clothing gathered in a trash bag. Even in death, his human dignity had been stripped away.
The sight was more than a mother’s heart could bear. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed under the weight of a grief no mother should ever know. In that moment, it was not just her heart that broke; she was shattered completely. No mother should have to await such an end for her son, nor should any human being return to their loved ones as nothing more than scattered remains. For behind every number lies a name; behind every name, a family; and behind every family, a love that never ceased waiting.
This is Gaza; stop the genocide.❤️🩹💔