Happy Rosh Hasha-birthday to me…

Sunday marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, which started at sundown on Sunday. For those who aren’t familiar,  Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish/Hebrew New Year. From a etymology standpoint it looks like this:

“Rosh” {the Hebrew word for head} + “ha” {prefix of the noun} + “shanah” {the word for year} = “head of the year”

Pretty interesting and cool, right?

In the Jewish faith the new year was the beginning of the cycle of sowing, growth, and harvest. An article on Huffington Post explains further by stating that the “[Rosh Hashanah] marks the beginning of the year 5776 on the Jewish calendar. The 10-day period between Rosh Hashanah and the holy day of Yom Kippur, known as the High Holy Days, is a period of deep spiritual introspection for Jews around the world. It’s an opportunity to pause, reflect on the events of the past, and think about the year to come.”

I’m not of the Jewish faith, but I also find myself taking this “opportunity to pause, reflect on the events of the past, and think about the year to come” right now, since September is my birthday month. My birthday is actually on the 16th and, though Rosh Hashanah technically ends at sunset on September 15th, it does occur during the the 10-day holy time frame. On a personal level, for me it’s a bit poetically apropos.

One of the traditions of the holiday is eating fresh apples and honey to symbolize desire for “sweetness” in life for the year to come.

I’M LOOKING AT THE {WO}MAN IN THE MIRROR

Birthdays are always reflective for me–some years more than others–and this year is certainly no exception. In fact, I am particularly introspective this year because of the tremendous amount of transition I’ve experienced in the last 2 years, especially between my last birthday and this one. The last 12 months have both seen me at an emotional low never before experienced, as well as at levels of unfounded happiness. I’ve had bout of spiritual frustrations that were later followed by fits of faith, favor & joy.

But as I mentioned in my “Hello September” post, a new birthday is a season of renaissance and rebirth, and in that spirit, I have to acknowledge that there have been great strides made this year, too:

• I launched this lovely blog that I {and hopefully you!} adore
• I’ve been able to deepen my wine knowledge {WSET Level 2 exam results in 2-1/2 weeks!}
• I’ve had the opportunity to attend some really cool events that I’ve always wanted to attend, including a couple that I didn’t know existed
• I got my courage up and put my passions on the line for acceptance or rejection by submitting myself for major roles in some big projects
• My creative vision was enlarged tremendously and, even though it can feel a bit overwhelming at times, I’m pursuing it full on with excitement

I’m filled with more optimism than ever about what my “birthday new year” holds in the coming days, weeks, and months. Be on the lookout for me to launch a channel on Periscope; the launch of a new business endeavor; and for me to begin hosting more events {like a champagne vision board workshop, coming near you!}.

Join me in singing in your best 50 Cents voice: “Go ‘liesta; Rosh Hasha-birthday, we’re gonna rebirth like Rosh Hasha-birthday…” Cheers to another kind of new year.

#HappyBirthdayBubbleista

#RoshHashaBirthday