This post is part of Jewels of Elul, which celebrates the Jewish tradition to dedicate the 29 days of the month of Elul to growth and discovery in preparation for the coming high holy days. This year the program is benefiting BeitT’shuvah, a residential addiction treatment center in Los Angeles. You can subscribe on Jewels of Elul to receive inspirational reflections from public figures each day of the month.
Today my family will be celebrating the bris of my nephew. I’m finally an uncle! Many families, mine included, have the tradition to first announce a new baby boy’s name to the world at the bris. While we’ll all be learning a new loved one’s name later today, I find myself getting used to a new name of my own as I get used to hearing family refer to me as Uncle Avi. Wait, who? Oh right, me.
I’m excited for the new responsibility of being an uncle. It’s powerful stuff holding a new life and seeing this world unfold as we welcome a new person into our family. I have amazing uncles myself and I am really looking forward to playing a role in this little one’s life has he grows up.
Being near my sister and her new family and sharing in this simcha has catapulted me upright for the new year. This Elul I’m embracing the new year and my new name.
Uncle Avi.
Update: His name is official now. Shai Aviv, welcome to the family.
You don’t have to be on the blog tour to write a blog post on “The Art of Beginning… Again”. We invite everyone to post this month (August 11th – September 8th) with Jewels of Elul to grow and learn.
