Spring = Many Opportunities for a "Shehecheyanu"!

One of the things that fascinated me about Judaism when I was in my Intro class was how so many of the rituals around life cycle events are perfectly orchestrated to help guide a person through a healthy, normal emotional process. As a social worker, I was intrigued by how the rituals around death and mourning, for example, perfectly correlate with what is considered a healthy and appropriate way to cope and grieve. What a beautiful way to nudge people along this path rather than allowing someone to flounder in chaos and repression and maladaptive coping techniques. This gave me such a respect for the wisdom of our ancestors.

I now feel similarly about the "Shehecheyanu." I have become such a fan of this blessing, and am grateful I had to learn it for my conversion.  It is a blessing for special occasions and new things, and you know what? Finding opportunities where this blessing is appropriate helps enhance my appreciation of these events. For instance, I was already joyous about planting our blueberry bush together, having my hands in the earth and helping nurture life, but recognizing that moment as an opportunity for a "Shehecheyanu" made me appreciate it even more. It made me pause and take time to feel grateful to God for this moment.

A less obvious example is saying it before baking my first cake as a Jew, which I am doing this afternoon to bring to our oneg. (I had the whole week off work for my parents' visit, and since they left yesterday afternoon, I have time today to bake, which rarely happens.) It is also my first caramel cake ever. This is not something I may normally feel such a level of appreciation and happiness for, and recognizing it as an opportunity to say a "Shehecheyanu" gives me pause to feel gratitude and joy where I otherwise would not have. And this is what made it connect in my mind to what I mention above about the wisdom behind Jewish traditions. What a beautiful reminder to appreciate and thank God for even the smallest of things. It keeps me in the moment and builds on my already joyful and contented nature.