The Jewish High Holidays are days of renewal and hope, judgment and compassion. In addition to family meals, long days in the synagogue, and new year resolutions, we spend time sitting and evaluating the past year, reviewing our behavior, successes, and failures, and evaluating whether self-imposed expectations were met.
The message of forgiveness, so prevalent in the High Holidays, remind us that our path forward lies in forgiveness and compassion, including the forgiveness that we are often guilty of withholding from ourselves.
The Torah portions that are read on the High Holidays recall the trials of the foremothers and forefathers with infertility. These readings take on an entirely new meaning to couples with infertility.
You may be asking yourself, what went wrong this year? Did I pray enough? Did I try hard enough? Is there room for forgiveness as well?
At the resolution of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, we free ourselves from regret and self-blame for another year. We choose to be compassionate. And you can too.
For a couple struggling with infertility, a clean slate means allowing yourself a new point of view. What if you could experience infertility without judging yourself? What if you did what you needed to do to cope with and enjoy the holidays (and the entire year!), no matter what that looked like? Whether your celebration includes reading the Torah or staying outside synagogue, praying or not praying, this year, give the gift of compassion to yourself and celebrate the new year judgment free.
The High Holidays end with the festival of Sukkot, a holiday of joy and celebration. You too, are worthy to be celebrated. Right now. This year.
