New Year, New Death

Yesterday marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Tuesday is the Autumn Equinox, the commencement of autumn. These are new beginnings, fresh starts, opportunities for rebirth. Even autumn, as earth winds down from its green fleshiness to the sleep of winter, there is a chance for renewal.

To do this we must embrace the mirror side of beginning, that which ends. Death. To truly renew we must witness death, whether it be summer gardens, relationship with a loved one, or simply an old grievance. Our active part in beginning anew is to let go.

As we let go of old heartaches and misspoken words, space opens within our hearts. This opening is forgiveness, and forgiveness breeds compassion. We can face death with compassion.

Pema Chodron reminds us, “What we hate in ourselves, we’ll hate in others. To the degree that we have compassion for ourselves, we will have compassion for others.” So that what we can forgive in ourselves, we can forgive in others. And with forgiveness we can turn ourselves over to the new.