Every week, we have an opportunity to begin again. Sometimes, at the start of the week, the tasks and activities and duties appear in a daunting pile before us. Yet, our tradition offers us comfort in routine. It reminds us that there is a rhythm to the week: Shabbat is inevitable, we will always have a chance to rest, and—even when the week ahead seems overwhelming—we can try to figure out small ways to bring a sweet slice of Shabbat’s peace, calm, and thankfulness into every day of the week.

When I am feeling worn down, I do everything I can to shift my outlook to a place of gratitude (not always easy, almost always helpful). A 2021 study by Harvard Medical School found that a feeling of gratitude was strongly and consistently associated with a healthier and happier life. Gratitude won’t eliminate our stresses, but giving thanks for the blessings we have can help us feel more balanced and grounded amidst life’s inevitable challenges.

At the start of this new week, may we open ourselves to wonder and gratitude. May we find moments of rest and peace in the cracks of our busy schedules. On this 39th day of the Omer, may we wake up to the goodness of our lives. I hope you’ll find this contemporary blessing from Bowler and Richie’s new book, “The Lives We Actually Have,” to be a positive frame to your new week. Shavuah tov!

—Cantor Emma Lutz

For Waking Up to Life Again (by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie, 2023)

Blessed are we, beginning to feel some release
From the crippling fear we’ve grown
Far too accustomed to,
From the drawn-out season of anxious vigilance,
From the boredom and frustration of plans deferred.

Winter’s long frost is over.
New ground has appeared,
And paths too we didn’t know were there.

Blessed are we who need help waking up to
The music, the movement,
The color of living,
Who need help trying on joy for a change.

The wonder of the daffodil,
The mystery and power of the tiniest seed,
Cracked open and sprouting new life,
Reaching, in its own time, toward the light.

Blooming.

Blessed are we who say, Wake me too, God.
Put me where beauty and love can reach me.
I’m ready for something new.