New winds are blowing. Time to put away vacation mode and enter the season of responsibility. The days are shorter, the pace more brisk. It's time to get serious.
Bathing
suits away, 3-ring binders out. Sunscreen back on the shelf, textbooks
down from the shelf. Flip-flops in the closet, sweatshirts out of the
closet.
Back to school musings?
Nah.
It's all about Elul.
The
fact that Elul, the Hebrew month that heralds the High Holidays,
dovetails annually with back-to-school season (at least in the Northern
Hemisphere - a nod to you, South African readers) is one of the
delightful quirks of the calendar. The spirit is just so right.
Every
single emotion has its place on the Jewish calendar. Sad? Think Tisha
B'av. Ecstatic surprise? Purim. Freedom from the grips of a crisis?
Pesach. Finding the light amidst the darkness? Chanukah's it. And
starting fresh after lazy season? There's Elul.
The
cooler nights, the more scheduled pace, even the leaves starting to
reveal reds and oranges, are all my reminders that change is afoot.
Renewal. An opportunity to look back, reflect, buckle up, and start
again.
I can hardly wait.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
