A sense of renewal

No surprise, as summer simmers out to meet the fall season, there is a sense of renewal - the start of school year, the start of football season and the start of a new year if you celebrate Rosh Hashanna.

I have, as clergy has through the years so aptly acknowledged, really conflicting feelings about these days of awe.  Prayers and reflection leading up to a day of atoning and then a slew of celebratory festivals seems frenzied – from a slow, steady old-fashioned roller coaster climb leading to a freefall release – as if recharged to start again.

But sometimes it’s not so easy to start. Again.

In full disclosure, I have often dreaded the up-front prior to a “ big” holiday until its arrival, the anticipation of self-inspection and reflection. It’s not so bad once I embrace it, but it’s never been fun– remembering the ways I’ve missed the mark in my day-to-day experiences each year. 

And although I’ve celebrated a lot of new years, with every beginning I try to remember it’s not too late to start a new dream, see a problem from another angle, hold someone less responsible for something perhaps out of his/her control. It’s hard to repeat the words and teachings of just a few holiday services throughout the next 365 days but I’d hate to think what my life would be like if I ignored the advice and kept making the same mistake over and over. Again.

So this year, while we look ahead to improve on the year ahead, try to be more understanding of how we can, by being human, miss the mark, or be more intuitive about the words we shouldn’t say. Better yet, find the right words to say while we have the chance. Try to remove the pressure to compete, to keep up, to grasp and have it all when you might just have a lot already.

Ask of yourself what you easily say to our children -- consider leading a good, kind, meaningful life (a “staying on track” if you will) so you will have the necessary tools to ride out any of the dips and curves the coaster can offer.