Tonight is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. People from many backgrounds read my blog - Jews, Christians, atheists, agnostics, runners, swimmers and couch potatoes. Since being Jewish is central to my life, but not to the lives of many of my readers, I wondered whether to acknowledge Rosh Hashanah in my blog post this week, or simply write as I usually do about running, goal setting, and moving beyond our limits.
I opted to do both. What follows relates to Rosh Hashanah,
but can apply universally to anyone from any walk of life.
Rosh Hashanah is, among other things, a time for deep
introspection - who we are, what we’ve done, where we’ve succeeded and where
we’ve come up short, what we must change in our lives and how we wish to move
forward. The process contains a hint of the quality of secular New Year
resolutions people make on January 1 (and usually break by January 31). But it
goes much deeper. Although one can certainly resolve at Rosh Hashanah to go on
a diet, drop ten pounds, and the like, Rosh Hashanah is much more about
transforming oneself from the inside and looking at the big picture than it is
about any particular short-term goals.
Rosh Hashanah serves as a kind of reset button - whatever
lurks in the past, it is time to start over and embrace the life we are
supposed to be living. Rosh Hashanah is not just the start of the New Year, but
a celebration of the creation of the world - it is a time when Jews acknowledge
God as the Creator of all and re-create their own lives in consonance with all
of creation.
Before you can move forward, however, it is critical to
acknowledge what you already have. When you are grateful for what has already
appeared in your life, it is far easier to accomplish new things, develop new
character traits and move beyond whatever is still lacking.
Many people, when they acknowledge something good in their
lives, will say “I am lucky to have
X.” In Judaism (and several other religions), one says, instead, “I am blessed to have X.” There is a world of
difference between the two. To be lucky implies that things just happen. You
were in the right place at the right time, nothing more. To be blessed,
however, means that you were given something. You have something for which to
be grateful.
Judaism even has a tradition of saying at least 100
blessings a day - the goal is to be constantly aware of the blessings we
receive. In that spirit, and in the spirit of beginning life anew on Rosh
Hashanah, I offer 50 people, things and experiences that have been a blessing
in my life.
Why 50? That should be obvious - this whole blog is about
celebrating life upon turning 50. So here are my 50 blessings - not in any
particular order, certainly not meant to be an all-inclusive list, and
definitely not all of equal importance:
1. My Health. All of us
take our health for granted, at least some of the time. We don’t appreciate
being healthy until we’re sick. I am blessed with good health, which enables me
to do all the things I do, and of course, to run five marathons this year.
2. My Father. My father
passed away in May, following a long illness. As I discussed in a previous blogpost, he had so many wonderful qualities that have helped shape who I am and
the life decisions I make to this day. I miss his presence. But I feel blessed
to have had such a loving relationship with him and to have had his example to
guide me.
3. My Mother. I am
blessed to have a wonderful mother who also has set a great example for me
throughout my life and continues to do so. I am blessed by our frequent phone
conversations and regular visits.
4. Living in Israel. Jews
have yearned for almost 2,000 years to return to the land of Israel, and to
live freely there in control of their own destiny. For many centuries, living
in Israel was a dream for so many Jews that could not be fulfilled. I am
blessed to be able to live in the modern and thriving state of Israel, to walk
in the same places that Abraham, King David and many others walked, and to
build a life here for myself and my family.
5. Growing Up in the United
States. As grateful as I am to live in Israel, I am also grateful to have
grown up in the United States - a country with nearly boundless opportunity, a
leader among nations, a country of nearly limitless diversity and beauty - and
the best ice cream to be found anywhere.
6. Coffee. Perhaps not
on the same level as the previous five, but nonetheless, coffee is a blessing.
There is nothing like the aroma and taste of a good strong cup of coffee first
thing in the morning.
7. Good Wine. Wine tends
to be a blessing toward the day’s end. But it is still a blessing - especially so
because drinking a glass of wine has health benefits.
8. Chocolate. Unlike
coffee or wine, chocolate has no time restrictions. It is a blessing any time
of day. For all you chocolate lovers out there, this one needs no explanation.
9. Beethoven Symphonies (and
all other great music). As William F. Buckley, Jr. once remarked, “Life
can’t be all bad when for ten dollars you can buy all the Beethoven sonatas and
listen to them for ten years.”
10. My Wife. Do I need to
explain why my wife is a blessing? Should you need an explanation, I wrote
about it here.
11. My Son. One of the
very greatest blessings in life is children. I have been blessed to watch my
son grow up, to watch his passion for basketball flourish, to watch him mature into
a wonderful human being, and best of all, to still have a great relationship
with him even though he’s a teenager.
12. My Daughter. Ditto
for everything I said about my son - except that my daughter doesn’t play
basketball and she’s not quite a teen. I am blessed to watch her develop into a
wonderful young lady.
13. Watching a Sunrise. Words
cannot describe the transcendent beauty of a sunrise, the colors that leave one
breathless, the feeling of hope that a new day has dawned, the feeling that all
(or at least something) is right with the world. And for those who have
experienced a sunrise, no words are needed.
14. Watching a Sunset.
Ditto - just going the other direction.
15. My Home. I am blessed
to live in a beautiful house on a secluded street - a path actually, with no
cars. I enjoy eating in our beautiful kitchen, playing piano in our beautiful
living room, and sitting outside drinking coffee (please see blessing number 6)
surrounded by beautiful plants and trees. There is nowhere else I would rather
call home.
16. My Brother. Not
everyone has siblings. My father didn’t. My wife’s father didn’t. I am blessed
to have a brother, to have shared a childhood together, to speak on the phone
and get together in adulthood, to always know he is there.
17. My Relatives. As the
saying goes, you can choose your friends but not your relatives. I have relatives
I would choose anyway. From New York to Virginia to Florida to Texas to
Illinois to North Dakota to Connecticut, there are people I am blessed to call
family.
18. My Friends. Yes, you
can choose your friends, and I seem to have chosen well. I’ve always been the
type to have a few close friends rather than many superficial ones. Quality is
always better than quantity.
19. My Neighbors. I
really do think I live on the best block in the world. There are just over
twenty families on my block - representing nearly a dozen countries, a full
range of professions, and unlimited smiles and acts of caring.
20. Traveling in Europe. I
have experienced London, Paris, Budapest, Prague and Geneva. All beautiful, all
historical, all wonderful. Not everyone gets to travel. Emerson may have
thought that travel is a fool’s paradise - but it is a paradise, nonetheless.
21. My Feet. Yes, you
read that correctly. We rely on so many things that we never give a moment’s
thought, until we can’t use them. Feet are one of them. Because of my feet I
can run marathons, hike in the woods and walk with my children. Running these
marathons for the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled, I’ve seen people who
don’t have feet or legs. They accomplish amazing things anyway, but that just
makes me appreciate my feet that much more.
22. My Eyes. Eyes are
another one of those little things we take for granted. With our eyes, we see
great art, sunsets, our loved ones. We use our eyes to read, to build, to take
in everything around us.
23. Being a Musician. I
started piano and clarinet when I was twelve, and I never stopped. I played
clarinet professionally for several years. Although I no longer play
professionally, being a musician is as much a part of me as breathing.
24. My Music Teachers. I
have been blessed to have had music teachers who not only taught me how to play
an instrument, and how to understand music deeply, but also served as role models for life. I would not be who I am today without them. When you examine
the experiences of people whose lives are on an upward trajectory, almost
inevitably a caring teacher is in there somewhere.
25. New England Music Camp.
Tucked away on the shores of a shimmering lake in central Maine is a place that
can only be described as magical. I was blessed to spend three summers of my
youth there. Those summers helped shaped me and I often go back in my mind to
that camp and that lake.
26. My Grandfather’s Watch.
When my father passed away in May, I received my grandfather’s pocket watch. My
grandfather received it as a boy, back in 1913. The watch still works. My
father would wind it dutifully, as a way of keeping the connection to his
father. Now it is my turn to wind the watch and continue the chain.
27. Time to Myself.
Everyone needs moments of calm, moments they can call their own. I treasure
every one of those moments as a blessing. Sometimes, those moments simply keep
me sane. Sometimes they allow me to reflect on what is ultimately important.
Sometimes they relax and refresh and enable me to enter the world anew.
28. Reading. Through
reading, I can learn new subjects, gain fresh perspectives, travel new worlds.
What could be better than that?
29. Writing. Writing has
made it possible for me to publish my life story, to tell the stories of
others, to inspire, persuade and inform. I am grateful for that ability and
that opportunity.
30. Springfield,
Massachusetts. Springfield is the home of Dr. Seuss and the birthplace of basketball. It was also where I lived for four very pivotal years almost a
decade ago. Not every place can be called a community. I was blessed to live in
Springfield at a time that made it possible for my family to move in new
directions and become who we are today.
31. Jerusalem. While
Springfield may have been a stopover, Jerusalem is forever. There is no city on
earth like Jerusalem - no city with Jerusalem’s rich past or hope for the
future. I am blessed to live just seven miles from this spiritual center of the
world and to walk its streets often.
32. New York City. If I
had to pick a city beyond Jerusalem that I couldn’t live without, it would be
the Big Apple. I was blessed to grow up just a short bus trip away from New
York, to study music there in high school, and to have visited its parks,
museums shops and neighborhoods more times than I can count. There is only one
New York.
33. Airplanes. Yes, even
airplanes are a blessing. Airplanes have made it possible for me not only to travel,
but to visit my family frequently even though I live half a world away.
34. The Beach. Like
sunrises and sunsets (numbers 13 and 14), you have to experience this one
yourself to truly understand. The calm of the waves, the sweet salt smell of
the air, the rhythm of the tides, the grittiness of the sand, the warmth of the
sun. There’s a reason that beachfront property is so expensive.
35. Efrat. I am blessed
to live in a town where, like the Cheers song, “everybody knows your name and
they’re always glad you came.” There is more caring per square inch in Efrat
than any other place I have ever experienced. And the weather’s pretty good
too.
36. Childhood Memories.
Some things we don’t appreciate until later on when we’ve gained some
perspective. Only as an adult did I recognize all the fantastic childhood
experiences I had - experiences that are now part of me for a lifetime.
37. Pets. A cat sitting
in your lap. A dog snuggling beside you. Unlike many people, pets love you
unconditionally. And we all can use a bit of unconditional love from time to
time.
38. Living in These Times.
For most of recorded history, people were shackled by the circumstances into
which they were born. Only in modern times can we choose our profession, where
we live, our goals, our destiny. Only in modern times can we traverse the
globe, access virtually any information and use technology that can help us
accomplish virtually any of our ambitions. Today, what we take for granted,
kings and queens of previous centuries could not have even dreamed.
39. The Internet. A
subset of living in these times, but important enough that it is a blessing
unto itself. With the internet we can write blogs, read the news from literally
anywhere, learn virtually any new skill or subject, listen to historic performances,
communicate with loved ones anywhere on the planet, start a business, and
numerous other things I’m sure I’m forgetting (and yes, we can also use the
internet to waste time posting what we had for breakfast on Facebook - but the
choice is always ours).
40. Food on the Table.
Another one of those blessings we tend to take for granted. I have never had a
time in my life where I have lacked for food. Often, I have had too much of it.
I’m keenly aware that, sadly, that is not the reality for many others on our
planet. The more with which we are blessed, the greater is our responsibility
to help others gain those same blessings.
41. Smiling. Smiling has
to be the greatest invention known to mankind. When things aren’t going the way
I want, I always have it in my power to smile. Recent studies have shown that
our external body language actually impacts our internal state - both mentally
and physiologically. Smiling can even lower your heart rate following a
stressful event. What a blessing to be able to go from “down and out” to “on
top of the world” just by moving your mouth muscles.
42. Laughter. If you’re
still not feeling great after smiling, laughter will almost always get you
there. Some studies show that laughter can help you relax, boost your immune
system, release endorphins and even protect your heart. In his famous book, Anatomy of an Illness, Norman Cousins
relates how he conquered a serious and supposedly irreversible disease in part
by training himself to laugh.
43. Breathing. Of all the
things we take for granted, breathing tops the list. Yet, while we can exist
without water, food and even Ben and Jerry’s for extended periods, the same cannot
be said of breathing. Every breath we take, literally, is a precious gift of
life.
44. Being Jewish. Many
equate being Jewish with anti-Semitism, bagels, or B-level Catskills comedians.
I see being Jewish as a great blessing - one that gives me access to one of the
oldest and deepest spiritual traditions on the planet, one that gives me a
sense of purpose and a sense of destiny.
45. Great Views. Our
world contains infinite beauty. Some - like the Rockies, Norwegian Fjords, or
Caribbean beaches - are obvious. Much of it is less so. But beauty is there
around every corner - if we just know where and how to look.
46. GU. Runners of any
reasonable distance know exactly what this is. For everyone else, GU is an
energy gel designed to give a boost to athletes when they need it most. GU is
not only easy to digest, but comes in wonderful flavors like Caramel Machiatto,
Espresso and Chocolate Peanut Butter. GU might not seem like a blessing to you
- but trust me, around mile 22 of a marathon - it’s a big blessing.
47. Shabbat. Along with
smiles and laughter (numbers 41 and 42), Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) has to be
the greatest invention known to man. And unquestionably a fantastic blessing.
One day a week to unplug, to be unchained from technology, to ponder the deeper
reasons why we are here, to connect with family, to have a special space we can
call our very own.
48. Crisp Fall Days. The
brilliant colors of the autumn leaves. The sweet smell in the air. The crisp
feel that is not quite summer and not quite winter. A blessing I wish could
linger on much longer.
49. The Ability to Strive.
What makes us uniquely human is that we can imagine a tomorrow that is better
than today, and we can choose to make that tomorrow a reality. We are blessed
by our ability to choose, to grow, to strive, to progress, to build our
tomorrows from the ground up.
50. People Who Care. No
matter where you go, and often when you least expect it, there are people who
care - people who will go the extra mile for you without expecting anything in
return, people who will ask how you’re doing and genuinely mean it, people who
will drop everything just to help. This is, perhaps, the greatest blessing of
all.
_________________________
I am running these five marathons for the amazing children and adults at the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled. We have set a goal of $5,000. Every donation of any amount makes a difference. Click here if you want to help us get to the finish line!
No comments:
Post a Comment