Naomi Petel spent 19 hours locked her shelter with her husband and 3 sons on October 7th. She sits down with Bridget to tell her story, what she, her family, and her neighbors endured, those who were murdered or taken captive, and the series of events that allowed her family to survive. She describes the heartbreak and devastation of that day, and how her heart has continued to break since then because the trauma is ongoing. She does not know if she'll ever be able to go home again, she does not think about the future, right now daily survival is her only focus. She and Bridget discuss the reaction of the world to the October 7th attacks, the shocking amount of denial there is to something Hamas admits to having done, and her commitment to telling her experience to anyone who will listen because all she can do is tell the truth. They discuss why we should teach our kids to get comfortable being uncomfortable, how life is more powerful than anything else, the reality of facing people who don't want her to exist, and why you shouldn't ask her how she's doing.
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Bridget Phetasy admires grit and authenticity. On Walk-Ins Welcome, she talks about the beautiful failures and frightening successes of her own life and the lives of her guests. She doesn’t conduct interviews—she has conversations. Conversations with real people about the real struggle and will remind you that we can laugh in pain and cry in joy but there’s no greater mistake than hiding from it all. By embracing it all, and celebrating it with the stories she’ll bring listeners, she believes that our lowest moments can be the building blocks for our eventual fulfillment.
Naomi Petel Survived October 7th