For as long as I can remember, the first of September always jumps up and greets me like the beginning of no other month, Gregorian or Hebrew or otherwise.

When I was a child, it signaled to me that my birthday was rapidly approaching, as was the beginning of the school year (in New York we never began before Labor Day). If Rosh Hashanah fell on the early side in a given year, it was like winning a Triple Crown, and my excitement multiplied. At the same time, I occasionally felt cheated as my new Rosh Hashanah clothes became my birthday presents which became my school clothes.

I began to observe the tradition of making “rabbit, rabbit” my first spoken words on the first of each month long ago, when my daughter, Iliana, initiated this ritual and encouraged me to join her. I have continued, even though my feelings and beliefs about being lucky (or not) have changed.

Really, what has changed is the way in which I look at my life, and my awareness of what affects how I move in the world. As I have grown closer to my faith, and have deepened my learning and religious practices, being aware of the blessings I enjoy seems to make much more sense than being grateful for being “lucky.”

Back in March, during the Hebrew month of Adar, I wrote on this blog about reciting and receiving blessings, and being a blessing. Now, almost six months later, I return to those thoughts, and reaffirm my commitment to being a blessing through my actions.

Come October 1, I will again say “rabbit rabbit,” as I did this morning, if for no other reason than to connect with Iliana.