I love this time of year. It’s full of moments of reflection and perfectly warm end-of-summer nights. It also happens to be the Jewish holidays, and my birthday.
When my friend Chloe asked me over FaceTime what I planned to do for my birthday a few weeks ago, I froze up. I had no idea.
“You look like you’re in visible pain,” she said.
She wasn’t wrong. I was so unsure about what to do that my entire body tensed up. I knew it was silly. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.
But this was the first birthday I was spending at home with friends in a few years, and while organizing events can stress me out, also asking people to show up for me in this way sometimes made me anxious.
Which is another reason why I wanted to stay in new york this year. To gather with friends, and to feel grounded for the first time in a while.
A few weeks later, I had a small housewarming to celebrate my first apartment lease in 5 (!!!) years, and then a drum circle birthday picnic in the park later that weekend.
I felt so grateful to be surrounded by loving friends. To have such a playful, supportive community.
But I’m not just feeling reflective about my birthday. With the Jewish new year, it feels like a true reset in many ways.
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