The Joy of Beginnings
Ah, the excitement of a blank page. White, pure as snow. Empty. Crisp. Fresh. I felt this sensation wash over me last night. Hunger deep in my belly, I stand sniffing rosemary in my palm, listening to the blessing over the moon, captivated by its brightness. The moon seems to wink back at me: Now you can start the new year. Transgressions behind me, fully “redeemed,” I enter 5780 with an open heart. I recall how 10 days prior, on Rosh HaShana, I threw rocks into a spring to symbolically let go of habits that keep me back--of mental models that weigh heavy on my shoulders. Then Yom Kippur arrives and I feel weightless. While refraining from eating and drinking, I create an opening. I get “myself” and my worldly needs out of the way to make room for holiness. I find myself skipping home from synagogue, elated by the possibilities: I can be whoever I want this year. Thank G-d, I am not a victim of circumstance. I
