At the age of 64, British novelist William Somerset Maugham decided that he had better write his autobiography, even though his health was still good. He did so entitled it The Summing Up. But why sum up your life at 64? “An occasional glance at the obituary columns,” he explained, “suggests that the 60s can be very unhealthy.” That may be true, but Maugham survived another 27 years and died at the age of 91.
No matter how young or old we are, is good on Rosh
Hashanah to review our lives. Where have we been on our earthly journey? Have
we been achieving our goals? Are we developing into the kind of people we
aspire to be?
Just as important is the question of whether we are
becoming the men and women God wants us to be. Are we making the most of the
opportunities before us-opportunities to live holy lives, serve others, and
bring honor to God’s name in both words and deeds? Because life is as “a
passing shadow or a dream that will fly away” (the High Holiday prayer Unetaneh Tokef based on Psalm 144:4 and
Job 20:8), we would be wise to make the most of our limited days.
We cannot change the way we spent our time in the past. But from this moment on, we can pray, do teshuvah (repent), and give tzedakkah not only to avert the severity of the decree, but more importantly fulfill His will for our lives. We have the present moment-let’s make the most of it!
Shana Tova
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