Imagine being in pain 24 hours a day. Not a little twinge or background ache, but real, severe pain. The kind of pain you can't forget about, even for a moment. It's always there. It directs your every movement, limits your time, compromises the quality of your sleep.
Imagine going to bed at night, knowing that even when you finally fall asleep (after taking a carefully concocted combination of pain medications) you will not feel relief. The pain will wake you, and often.
What kind of person would you be? How would it change you?
I think it's safe to say that living this way could and would make most people justifiably angry, morose, and difficult to be around. Certainly, you'd have every right to complain repeatedly, and even to wallow in self-pity. Your patience would probably be severely limited, if not completely eroded, and sympathy for others' challenges would be virtually impossible to muster.
But this week I met 11 people who experience severe, chronic pain yet still manage to be positive and upbeat, filled with a love for life and an excitement for new experiences and relationships.
Who are these people? Our heroes, Hilal, Alemu, Dor, Gal, Yaniv, Yotam, Matan, Adi, Ran, , Daniel and Naor, all IDF soldiers who were severely wounded in the line of duty, who are now here, visiting New York as guests of our 13th Belev Echad trip.
I've discovered that spending time with these wonderful individuals is far from depressing. In fact, it's fun and inspirational. They were heroes in the IDF, and they are heroes now, managing to spread joy and hope wherever they go, despite the constant pain and discomfort they experience.
For 10 days I've accompanied them as they visited schools, offices, restaurants and tourist sites. I've watched them interact with people from all walks of life, and I've noticed that everywhere they go people are drawn them. They want to hear their stories, bask in their smiles, be inspired by their laughter. These soldiers are truly affecting everyone they come into contact with in a remarkable way.
Surely we, most of whom do not have to contend with the type of chronic physical pain these soldiers are dealing with, have much to learn from them!
Farewell dear heroes, we love you!