No, you did not miss it, yes there’s still time, and maybe, just maybe, this is your year. 

“Really?” you might ask. “Yes, really,” I would say. Each of us gets this gift each year if we only embrace it and make it important to us. 

Last month I asked you to prepare for a smooth landing as we can begin to see the new year in sight. Now I suggest you relax and focus on yourselves and the people around you that bring meaning to your life. Think about the people who support you and love you, the people who need your love and support. Then ask for Hashem’s guidance so you can make good decisions and stay focused on the year to come.

While Rosh Hashana is a time most look ahead to the coming year, let’s not forget to look back and take some credit, or at least remind ourselves of the mitzvot we have been fortunate enough to make a part of our life and perform to touch someone else’s.

Now is the time, right now. Stop for a moment and recall a mitzvah you did and, even more important, ponder a mitzvah someone did for you. There is tremendous power in expressing the gratitude that comes when someone does a mitzvah for you. Evoke those feelings and embrace them. Share them with your friends and family, especially children so they know how special it truly is to feel the mitzvot.

Be grateful someone thought enough about you to do something for you, then consider ways you can help someone feel that same blessing.

Yes, we look ahead with hope for tomorrow and gratitude for yesterday. Today, and in the days leading to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, keep your loved ones in mind and in your heart as we use the immense power of prayer to join Jews around the world to collectively ask Hashem for forgiveness, express gratitude for all the goodness of the past year, and pray with all your heart that the coming year be filled with good health, joy, and prosperity.

But let’s not forget to ask for the ability to recognize the opportunities we have to make the world a better place and take the action needed to fulfill God’s plan. Being a Zayde makes it easy for me to find those opportunities and I thank Hashem and my family for that. It can be easy for you too by just taking pause to look around and pay little attention. Dinner, fasting, shul, being with family, contemplating your hearts desires, and feeling gratitude are part of ushering in the New Year and holidays we celebrate during this time. Embrace it, enjoy it, and know it makes a difference in your life and in this world.

Vito Simone is a local resident, home renovation expert, and a Zayde to Zev and Leo. You can find his professional business online at www.TodaysHomeRenovations.com. Comments are welcome below or you can email Vito at [email protected] or call him at 410-952-5595 with blog comments or ideas, or for more information about Today’s Home Renovations.