Rosh HaShanah is a joyful time, a time of hope and new beginnings – that was my Rosh HaShanah message to my Hebrew School students. We drank grape juice, ate slices of round raisin challah, and apples and honey as we practiced the appropriate Brachot. We discussed Tikun Olam and how each of us could make the world a better place in 5773.
But, I have lived long enough to know that Rosh HaShanah is really bitter-sweet. While we hope to find happiness and fulfillment in the New Year, with the passage of time, inevitably there are losses of many kinds, as well.
Today, I was hurrying through the supermarket when I heard someone call my name. A young couple who live two houses down from me had paused in their shopping to say, “Hello.” We chatted briefly and suddenly the husband said, “Echo’s dead.” I was sure I’d heard wrong and asked him to repeat. “Echo’s dead. Without warning, he ran under the wheels of our car as it entered the garage.” Echo, their black cat, had been a welcome wanderer in our neighborhood for many years. Each day, he’d meander through our yard, sniff at the plants, rub his head on the gate, and meow in a delightfully conversational way. Many times, when I’d be watering the garden late at night, Echo would come by, stretch out by the hose, and keep me company in the darkness. I’d suddenly lost a friend. My neighbors and I stood crying in the aisle.
I cried again when I arrived home and told my husband. I realized how much I’d grown accustomed to Echo’s visits and how I’d miss him. Sadly, it’s so easy to take for granted the ones whose presence brings comfort and wholeness to our lives; to forget how very temporary life can be. Have I been mindful enough of family and friends? Have I treated them with the full measure of kindness, respect, and gratitude which they deserve? Have I been careless, thoughtless, or unfeeling in my relationships? How, in the New Year, can I improve while there’s still a chance to ask for forgiveness; while there’s still time for change to be meaningful? Time – you never know…
Echo, I’m so sorry that your time in this world has ended. Echo, our neighbor’s cat, thank you for being a pleasant part of our lives. On this, the second day of Rosh HaShanah, may your memory be for a Blessing.
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