perspectives/Make simple blessings count most.htm
By Sharon
Spivak
Saturday, January 18, 2003
Alas, we have bid adieu to 2002 and have welcomed the year 2003. I was blessed this year to be in London, for the first time, with my family (and a few thousand strangers).
I must say, it was rather thrilling to watch Big Ben play the pivotal role in this year’s New Year celebration. We did not see a grand display of fireworks. We did not witness the “dropping of the ball.” We did not even sip champagne. We simply stood together, a wee bit crushed by the crowd, and watched the face of Big Ben record this annual event for all to see.
I think that it was the simplicity of our celebration that pleased me the most. For the first time in many years, we were all together on New Year’s Eve – quite a feat with sons over the age of 18. We opted to have a quiet dinner together, see some sights, rest up a bit before midnight, then walk the few blocks from our hotel to Westminster Abbey to watch Big Ben do what it does every 24 hours – strike the hour of midnight.
Several things struck me (no pun intended) as I gazed up at the giant clock during the last half-hour of 2002. Big Ben, I noted, needed no special preparation, no tux, no chauffeur, no coaxing of any kind to “perform” for this crowd of many thousands. In fact, I have it on good authority that Big Ben would have done exactly the same thing had there been no crowd at all.
We too, needed no special preparation for the event. We wore comfortable clothes, walked instead of rode, and stood in the brisk London night without so much as a cup of tea to fortify us. It was fun. It was exciting. It was different. And if one discounts the fact that it would have been simpler to stay home, it was simple. Another thing struck me. In a crowd of many thousands all pushed together with eyes fixed on this great London landmark, it was utterly and completely peaceful.
Yes, there was drinking and yes there were loud “party-animals” mixed in the crowd, however I witnessed no potentially dangerous or threatening behavior of any kind. We all came together to do one simple thing – witness Big Ben count down the last few minutes of 2002 and celebrate the birth of 2003.
Did it occur to me amidst this crowd at this popular landmark that at any moment our joy could be reduced to complete devastation at the hands of a terrorist? Yes, of course it did. I don’t think that I can honestly say that I do not think of such things these days. Even a new year cannot erase “old” fears. I do find myself a bit more wary. I do look around assessing those around me far more than even before. I admit to feeling momentary trepidation when thinking about all four of us boarding an oversees flight on the 27th. I do. I just don’t let it overwhelm me nor do I let it determine the choices I make in life. I cannot and will not allow a handful of terrorist in a world full of peaceful people deter me from living a full and enriching life.
As Jews, we celebrate several New Years every 12 months. The most visible, of course is Rosh Hashanah, celebrated this past Sept. 6, which, according to traditional teaching, celebrates the birth of the world. Today the Jewish community celebrates another New Year called Tu Bi-Shevat, otherwise known as the New Year for Trees. One traditionally celebrates this New Year by eating fruits and nuts; especially those connected with Israel. In modern Israel, Tu Bi-Shevat is observed as a sort of “Arbor Day” where school children traditionally plant trees.
This New Year is little known outside of Jewish communities and yet its celebration could easily be relevant to everyone. After all, trees are gifts to one and all and taking a moment to celebrate God’s gift of trees just might be something most of us could agree upon . . . ?
The tree – trees live virtually in every corner of the earth. They live in groves; they live singly, and in pairs. They are diverse, adaptive, giving, sheltering, comforting and enduring. Some are grand and live thousands of years while some are delicate and easily ripped from the earth by just one strong wind. The tree is simple. It provides a shady rest for reading even if no one shows up to enjoy its gift of shade. It “dresses” every spring and “undresses” every winter all by itself with no coaxing or assistance. (Ah, if only it would “pick up after itself!”) And though there exists the odd ill-tempered tree “innocently” dropping an apple or chestnut on someone’s head, I’ve never known trees to organize and attack others (outside of Oz, that is . . . ).
Hmmm . . . perhaps trees could be the simple blessing for the New Year.
So whether we enter the New Year as a world, as a faith community, as a village or as a tree, may we all be blessed with the following things. May we be blessed with time together as a family. May we be blessed with good health, safety, friendship and happiness. And may we all be blessed with an awareness and appreciation of the multitude of simple blessings that God bestows upon us every minute of every day. And let us say, Amen.
Sharon Spivak is an active member of Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua as well as the vice president of the Nashua Area Interfaith Council. She works as a professional Jewish educator.