For us, the garden was more than just a plot of land. It was a symbol of hope and resistance amidst chaos.
As bombs rained down on Gaza, my family found an unlikely act of rebellion in planting a small garden. We knew that with each seed we sowed, we were doing something against the odds – a testament to our faith that life could flourish even in the most difficult conditions.
Before the Israeli bombardment, our garden was a lush tapestry of trees and plants, where birds danced above the branches and ancient olive trees stood tall. But when the genocide came, it ravaged buildings, disrupted supplies, and left us struggling to survive. Food became scarce, and the act of eating turned into a daily struggle.
My father and I, along with my brother Mohammed, decided to plant something in defiance of the chaos around us. We bought seeds from a local farmer who tilled his land, and together we planted 30 corn seeds, three pepper seedlings, two eggplant seedlings, and several other varieties that could thrive in difficult conditions.
The work was exhausting, but with each drop of water we poured into the soil, we were doing something small yet significant. We were defying the odds and proving to ourselves and others that even in the darkest times, there is always hope.
As I look at our garden today, I am reminded of the resilience of life. The corn has grown tall, the potatoes have been harvested, and our salads are now flavored with fresh mint, basil, and arugula. It may seem like a small act of rebellion, but for us, it was a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable violence and destruction, there is always something to be cherished.
In Gaza, where violence rages on and scarcity gnaws at our daily lives, our garden persists – leaf by leaf, root by root. It's a chronicle of endurance and quiet rebellion. We may not have control over the war raging around us, but we do have control over how we choose to live in the midst of it all.
As bombs rained down on Gaza, my family found an unlikely act of rebellion in planting a small garden. We knew that with each seed we sowed, we were doing something against the odds – a testament to our faith that life could flourish even in the most difficult conditions.
Before the Israeli bombardment, our garden was a lush tapestry of trees and plants, where birds danced above the branches and ancient olive trees stood tall. But when the genocide came, it ravaged buildings, disrupted supplies, and left us struggling to survive. Food became scarce, and the act of eating turned into a daily struggle.
My father and I, along with my brother Mohammed, decided to plant something in defiance of the chaos around us. We bought seeds from a local farmer who tilled his land, and together we planted 30 corn seeds, three pepper seedlings, two eggplant seedlings, and several other varieties that could thrive in difficult conditions.
The work was exhausting, but with each drop of water we poured into the soil, we were doing something small yet significant. We were defying the odds and proving to ourselves and others that even in the darkest times, there is always hope.
As I look at our garden today, I am reminded of the resilience of life. The corn has grown tall, the potatoes have been harvested, and our salads are now flavored with fresh mint, basil, and arugula. It may seem like a small act of rebellion, but for us, it was a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable violence and destruction, there is always something to be cherished.
In Gaza, where violence rages on and scarcity gnaws at our daily lives, our garden persists – leaf by leaf, root by root. It's a chronicle of endurance and quiet rebellion. We may not have control over the war raging around us, but we do have control over how we choose to live in the midst of it all.