Amid the Israeli strikes on Damascus on May 5, fears of a widespread war in the region entered in the hearts and minds of many.

In Lebanon, people know well what a war with Israel means. The last experience in July and August 2006 gave them a clear image of the devastation that might occur — and the death toll.

Those same people also know that today's Hezbollah is not to be compared with the one that fought the 2006 war. It is much better armed and trained, and its army is to be counted in the tens of thousands, according to what the group's chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Feb. 14, 2008, at the funeral of his slain commander Imad Mughniyah about his army of of fighters.

On Lebanon's southern borders, life seems normal. Israeli warplanes flying at low latitudes have a minimal effect on people's lives. Therefore, it's common to see children playing a couple of meters from the border. People here agree a destructive war is imminent, an unprecedented confrontation, maybe a regional one that might kill thousands if not tens of thousands. That's why they decided they want to live their lives fully until the last minute.