Happy 2009

I don’t make New Year Resolutions, but I have used the turning over of both the Hebrew calendar and the secular calendar in the past to begin new points in my own Jewish journey. After Rosh Hashanah in 2006 (5767) I began to wear my kippah at all times. At the beginning of 2008 I stopped eating pork and shellfish and began to wear tzitzit all the time. This year I’m not sure what I am going to add into my Jewish observances. I would like to get into the habit of lighting Shabbat candles at home before going to temple. I tried to do this a few times in December when I got home from work with enough time to actually be able to sit and enjoy the light before heading out to services. The problem is that I won’t leave the candles burning while I am gone, even sitting in the kitchen sink or the bathtub, because I am completely paranoid about fire. I guess I could always blow them out and re-light them, but even as someone who doesn’t hold by Shabbat in the traditional sense it just feels wrong to re-light the candles. A few weeks ago I had to leave for services and blew out the candles; they were about half-way down at the time so I used them the next time I was able to light candles before services (during Chanukah). Perhaps not the best solution, but it keeps me from wasting candles. So, I guess that is going to be my new stop along this journey.

There are other goals I have for 2009, but those will stay private for the moment. Along with a good friend, I am trying to devise some strategies to achieve these goals while she works towards hers, and we will support each other along the way. I have to admit that I wasn’t going to make any goals for myself for 2009, feeling as if I wasn’t going to be able to get them done anyway. But I find the positive attitude and support of this friend to be the kick-in-the-ass that I need.