Aryeh is a giver. Some people say ‘My pleasure’ just to be polite. Aryeh would mean it literally. It was his greatest pleasure to give. To his country, To his family. To anyone in need.
Aryeh, a commander in the war in Israel, gave his all to protect his country. It was in the midst of the war that he discovered he had cancer of the colon. ‘It’s probably nothing’, he said to himself as he went to checkout a symptom. But the doctor thought otherwise and didn’t even wait for the biopsy results. Exams and treatment began immediately. Aryeh didn’t say anything to his regiment. He would travel in at one in the morning and be back in time for a full day in battle.
But then the news got worse. The cancer had spread to his liver. He would need surgery. Aryeh entered the hospital on the day his wife was released with their new baby. And that hurt. Aryeh wasn’t able to help with the new baby. Nor was he able to provide support for the older kids who couldn’t understand why Mommy was always resting. When he arrived home after the surgery, not only was he not the giver but he became a major taker, as if his wife had another new ‘baby’ needing constant care. And, of course, returning to Reserve Service was out of the question. He thought of his friends still at the front and it hurt. Wherever he turned, there were those who needed him and he was not able to give.
His family needed him and he was completely incapacitated. He had to relearn breathing due to the highly invasive surgery. He had to relearn walking due to his prolonged stay in bed. He wanted to take his kids to the playground but he could hardly walk a few steps on his own. He wanted to be the fun father that his kids had always known. But the cancer was imprisoning him.
Maybe…maybe there was a way. A way he could provide that fatherly fun for his kids. Not directly. That would be impossible. But indirectly…
Ezer Mizion had been there for him in so many ways. Now they were offering a retreat. For the whole family. To re-bond, the staff member had said. There will be activities from morning to night. His kids could go and a volunteer would wheel him over so he could cheer them on. “We could have fun together without my putting in any effort. My kids, my wife, together as a family. Could it really happen,” he wondered.
Barely able to hope, Aryeh made the reservation. Would it really be as they described it?
The retreat surpassed all his expectations. There were activities for all ages. Staff and volunteers were everywhere to make sure each family gained as much as possible. Games, crafts, professional entertainment, even a jeep trip. “My girls didn’t stop smiling,” said Aryeh, “and that empowered me, too.”
