Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 29th birthday (both on the English and Hebrew calendars).

I’d like to look back on the past year and then forward to the next.

One year ago, I was taking Hebrew-reading lessons. I had just recently started laying Tefilin and davening every morning. I had just run 10K for the first time. I was getting ready to go on a Caribbean cruise to renew my body. Today I am one of only two people who attend the morning minyon at my Shul (other than the Rabbi ad Cantor) who are not saying Kaddish. I can lead any of the weekday services and Shacharit for Shabbat. I have run 2 ½ marathons, and am getting ready for a trip to Israel to renew my soul.

It has been an amazing year in many ways, and I think that today, I’m much closer to the person I want to be than I was a year ago.

Of course, this has also been the most difficult year of my life. Our two miscarriages alone would be more than enough to take that title, but add everything that has happened with my brother and many other things that I’m not even going to list.

When faced with such a year, some people turn away from their faith. I turned towards G-d. The more that happened, the harder I prayed and the more I learned. I pray that all these things were given to me as a test of my faith, and I hope that I’ve passed the test. If that’s the case, I hope I can look forward to a year filled with joy.

Here is my prayer for the coming year. I pray for a safe and meaningful trip to Israel. I pray that our new home will be one filled with the “Pintele Yid’, and house full of Torah learning and a home that can help kindle the “Pintele Yid’ in our friends and family. I pray that this year will bring Mandy and I a healthy child so that we can share all of this with our new family.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach