I think everyone has their favorite holiday—you know, the holiday that gets you giddy and excited. And my favorite Jewish holiday is upon us: Rosh Hashanah.
My family didn’t always celebrate all the Jewish holidays growing up, but we always gathered at my grandmother’s house for Rosh Hashanah. The smell of chicken soup and the site of a beautifully set table always fills me with warmth.
Aside from the family memories, I enjoy Rosh Hashanah because I love the idea of starting new: taking a breath, resetting and focusing for the coming year. I wouldn’t go so far to say I make resolutions each year, but I do try to set goals that are realistic and will better myself.
As my daughter gets older (she is now a little over 2 years old) it’s not so easy to pull a fast one on her. I need to curtail my cussing, for fear of scornful looks from her preschool teacher; I need to be diligent about things like bedtime and routine; and I have come to realize that when it comes to cooking and eating, I need to practice what I preach. She wants to do everything that mommy does, and that includes what mommy is eating.
How can I eat junk food or less-than-healthful foods around her, if I don’t want her to mimic that behavior? Well, I can’t. And I shouldn’t, not for her or myself either. As a result of this realization, one of my goals for the coming year is to make sure that I am modeling good eating behavior for my daughter. If I wouldn’t let her eat it, well then I shouldn’t eat it either.
One of the things I have been doing quite regularly is bringing her to pick-your-own farms in New Jersey so we can pick fresh fruit and vegetables together. We both love this activity, and I have seen how it has impacted both of us: I spend more time cooking vegetables, and she absolutely loves eating fresh fruit right from the source. She has even been known to take a bite out of a whole pepper or eggplant.
The other thing we have done together is: cook. I have a step stool in my kitchen, which she has firmly claimed as her own, and she stands with me and serves as my “helper.” Sometimes it’s frustrating, most of the time it’s messy, but I can see how much she enjoys actively taking part in this process. And how can I not schep nachas that she wants to be just like me?
So the hardest part? Resisting the urge to order greasy take-out after a long day, and instead, make a colorful salad or roast some vegetables. Here’s to a better, sweeter and healthier year for us all.
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Rosh Hashanah
Pronounced: roshe hah-SHAH-nah, also roshe ha-shah-NAH, Origin: Hebrew, the Jewish new year.
