The Urgency of Living

The first day of the year arrived quietly as if the world hadn’t yet decided whether it had truly begun. Here in Israel, there are no fireworks or crowds in the streets. The calendar marks the date, but the air feels the same. And yet, there’s a different kind of pause for those willing to listen. It isn’t the silence of a celebration that has ended but of something that has barely started.

From my window, I can see my neighbor’s garden. He’s there, among the flowers, as usual. Today, his care seems more significant, almost symbolic. He’s not waiting for the perfect moment; he’s living in the present, touching the petals, adjusting what he can, as if he understands that time doesn’t pause.

Meanwhile, many of us continue postponing what’s essential. We grew up hearing that patience is a virtue, but here, where every day can bring unexpected turns—not all of them good—patience is a rare luxury. Invisible haste follows us on the streets and within ourselves. And yet, despite this urgency, we excel at putting off what truly matters.

And so, here we are at the start of a new year. For many, the turn of the calendar passed as just another date without celebrations or collective resolutions. But that doesn’t change what it represents: a beginning. It doesn’t matter where we are or how many times we’ve promised ourselves to change. What matters is realizing that the new doesn’t come from a calendar but from our choices.

Let this first day not be just another blank page. Let it be the moment we stop waiting. Because life doesn’t unfold in grand promises or the celebrations we see in movies. It happens in the small gestures, in the backstage of everyday life, where a neighbor tends to his flowers, and we finally decide to act.

To us all, a fantastic year. May we not wait so long to live.