As I thought of writing my gratitude post today in response to Laurel Regan’s Gratitude List Linkup #46, I remembered reading about the Jewish practice called Shehechiyanu (pronounced sh-heh-hi-yah-nu) : saying a blessing for new and special experiences.
The Shehechiyanu is a Jewish blessing that thanks God for sustaining our lives so that we could experience a moment of joy. It reminds us that life is a gift from God and helps us to appreciate when something good happens.
The translation reads :
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the
Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and
enabled us to reach this occasion.*
New and special experiences? We have them every day, don’t we?
“In life one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day – or to celebrate each special day.” ― Rasheed Ogunlaru
Today I give thanks for
- A morning walk with Pablo. I don’t walk him every day – Jose does. But on days that I do, his excitement about a walk is so infectious, you can’t help enjoying it too.
- A good breakfast – rotis and potato bhaji after ages!
- Lots of fresh vegetables and fruits that Jose bought today. We enjoyed corn on the cob this evening. Extra green chillies give me a chance to try out some new recipes!
- A lovely movie that I watched on YouTube.
- Interacting with some really cool bloggers – Judy Yaron, for example!
- Learning from the experience of friends.
What new and special experiences are you grateful for?
*Read more about it *here.
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