Today was Yom Kippur - this is the holiest day of the Jewish calender. 10 days ago this holiday period started with Rosh Hashanah - which means “head of the year” and is generally referred to as “Jewish New Year”.
Okay, so I am vamping a bit as I don’t have anything written. Monday was Columbus Day, We went to the eye doctor last week on Friday and husband’s niece’s birthday party on Sunday so I have had a busy week.
Last night I normally would have written my post for this week, but could not as Jewish holidays start the night before the day of the holiday. (There is a biblical reason for this, but I am not teaching bible class here - feel free to post back and ask if you want to know.) We have a huge lists of things we cannot due on Jewish holidays, most of the time I tend to ignore the list and do the things if they arise, but I try to set these two holidays - Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur apart from other days due to their significance, so here I am, with no idea of what to write at the last minute (sound familiar to you).
As I mulled this over tonight I thought the significance of this period - the two holidays and the time between them are a period of reflection and its relation to becoming more organized and less cluttered.
Huh? This was the time of year when Jews take the time to think about the past year - what they did wrong, what they would like to change, how they could have improved their life and the lives of others. One is suppose to apologize for wrongs they have done in the past year to those to whom the wrongs have been done - whether spouse, child, boss, employee, friend, foe, the annoying teller at the bank, the sales girl who was too slow, the customer who could not give you their order properly, the neighbor who thinks you play your guitar too loud, your dog - you forgot to walk him, and God. By making these apologies one is clearing up the past and getting ready for the future.
We also think about the coming year - what can we do to make the coming year better for us and those around us. Sort of like regular New Year’s resolutions but not exactly. I will call my mother more often. I will be more generous to charity. (This period is to Jewish charities similar to what Christmas is to general charities, people are more generous and several of the charities have their donation campaigns during this period.) I will try to get my blog posts written ahead of time and have them make more sense. I will try not to annoy my husband with stupid things so often. I won’t lie (as much?). I will actually clean the house when it is on my to do schedule. And so on.
I offer you this holiday period (albeit after it has ended - another thought for next year, offer it when it is about to occur) to help you.
Take the time to apologize to anyone you have wronged. They will probably be surprised and will feel better about you. You will feel better because instead of thinking “I wish I hadn’t told John he shouldn’t eat so much and I wish I can take it back” you will know that you have let the John know you are sorry you said that. Do this even with someone who has passed on if you feel you have wronged them. It will clear your mind and your heart of past errors and let you start over.
Do this with your self also. Apologize to yourself for what you have done to yourself. Don’t be angry with yourself any longer for things left undone or things done incorrectly or things you have done wrong. Let it go - forgive yourself. This will also clear your mind and heart and let you start over.
Set aside time and think about what you would like to do in the coming year. I am talking not only in terms of organizing and decluttering, but in general. Try to sort out your thoughts and ideas. Try to make some sense of them.
I have not made a New Year’s resolution - secular or Jewish New Year - in decades. My last one was not to make resolutions - I have kept it. I do try to get some idea of what I would like to do in the coming year and try to make some plans towards doing same. It is a general plan - I might have some specific ideas, but I never think “I will” or “I must”, I think “I will try to”.
When I was a child I could not understand what the big deal was about the New Year (either one). Every day starts a new year. I could not understand what made one starting point more important than another one. Try letting go of what has happened in the past year and think about the year to come. If today is not good - then tomorrow or next week - because every day is the start of a new year.
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