After I deal with my worry about getting food on the table for Rosh Hashanah this year (brisket, pomegranate chicken, kugel, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, to name just a few dishes), I need to take time to reflect on this past year and think about the year ahead. The holiday is a time to renew, to realign ourselves with what we really, really want, to think back on our mistakes or errors and make repairs.
The problem is finding the time to reflect. Finding time is as challenging as anything else in my life right now, but having the time to make traditional dishes with the help of my children, now thats downright satisfying. I love spending time with them in the kitchen. The creativity, exploration and bonding going on in there right now is something very special. It’s taking them away from their usual technology fix into a land of measuring spoons, pots, pans and food processors. There’s a lot of magic going on in in there right now and the house smells amazing. Tonight we made a Jerusalem Kugel and Potato Kugel and I can’t tell you how delicious the aroma is sweeping through the house.
On Wednesday, we’re kicking off the holiday making home made challot with our friends coming from the city. Only instead of braiding the dough, we’ll make it round, in honor of the Jewish New Year. We’ll take bites and dip it into honey, ensuring a sweet year for all of us. This is a new tradition in our home, and it’s something my kids are most excited about (usually I buy challah from the Kosher store).
I’ve had a lot happen this year with my health, and it’s certainly changed my outlook on life. Holidays are so very precious and I’m so grateful to be able this time with my children. My greatest hope is that they’ll carry on the traditions we’re creating into their adulthood and when I’m a grandmother coming for the holidays, I’ll see the traditions we created together as a part of my grandchildren’s lives. Other Rosh Hashanah traditions I’ve created include making pomegranate chicken every year and going to tashlich on the first day of the holiday, a field trip to the river to discard our sins.
My health issues have made me realize how precious life is and how it can be zapped at any given moment. In that vein, I have also reflected on my mistakes. In the year ahead, I want create more special memories with my kids, spend more time with my mother (who is just now moving to New York), call my close friends more often, use my iPhone less, see a lot of shows, read more books, travel to a new destination and focus on the positive.
My goal is to embrace life in the upcoming year and make it as sweet as possible. I wish all of you the same.
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Love your goal. Life is precious! Best wishes for a “sweet life” in the days to come.
I love your goals! Actually, I may have to take them up myself.
This sounds like a great time. The food sounds yummy too.
It is a great goal – I agree!! Its something we should all do, every single day because as noted life is so precious that you just never know what might happen.
That’s a great goal– and I like how you worded that holidays are a precious time. I feel the same way. Your menu sounds DELISH. Wishing you good health most of all, Holly, Shana Tova.