What I haven't done (I did a YES cartwheel)

Never Done: What I haven't done

In just a couple weeks it will be yom kippur, the day of atonement, the end of the High Holidays, and the end of the Jewish year, and My Never Done year will draw to a close. This month leading up -- the Hebrew month of elul -- is typically a time for reflection, a time for self-accounting, and a time to mend one's relationships to others. (In fact, the mussar class that Alissa Wise taught at the JCC was particularly scheduled during the month of elul, to help people prepare for the high holy days.) While I am certainly in a process of self-accounting in relationship to others, I am also in a process of self-accounting in relationship to my Never Done year; I have started to think about all the things that I had wanted to but won't get to do this year -- and what that means to me.

To jump straight to the point, I spent about 10 seconds feeling regret for what I didn't do this year that I had wanted to, and then shifted very quickly to feeling excited for all the things I still get to do for the rest of my life. Here are just a few of them -- ones I tried to do during this year, some of which I might still accomplish.

Go to the Bronx zoo
Have my birth mark removed
Shoot a gun
Ride a hot air balloon
Live in a place I love in NYC (where I can have a vegetable garden)
Adopt a child
Join an independent NY community bank or credit union
Create an apple mosaic
Get a book deal from my Never Done year

In the meantime, what did I do Monday that I had never done before? I did a YES cartwheel! Actually I did six. So fun! So affirming! So loud! So quick to accomplish! Sometimes you just need to yell YES!