"Ever been on a hoverboard?" Maggie, a wonderful single mom managing a busy mortgage company and raising two young girls, asked me this a couple of days back. She was excited to tell me about how she spent 25 minutes on her street with a hoverboard. This experience opened her heart to a new sense of purpose, a different outlook, and a personal freedom she hadn't felt in a while.

Life often ties us up in responsibilities and routines, leaving little space for fun and spontaneity. In the midst of daily activities, we forget how unexpected experiences can bring back a feeling of freedom. Maggie told me she got a hoverboard as a gift for her daughter's 14th birthday. One evening in front of her house, something special happened. The hoverboard's colorful lights lit up the sky, and it made a unique swooshing sound.

Maggie, like many women, is usually focused on work and taking care of her family, leaving little time for herself. She shared, "I hopped on it, started moving, and couldn't stop laughing for a whole 25 minutes." It was that sound that made the difference. An unexpected yet deliberate sound. The noise surprised her, and she burst into laughter. Her daughters joined in, and they all laughed together until their sides hurt. The hoverboard's sound brought out a carefree and joyful side of her that had been tucked away for years.

Maggie's hoverboard adventure reminds me of the special sound we'll hear on Rosh Hashanah. Soon, we'll gather as a community to experience the transformative sound of the shofar, a traditional ram’s horn. Beyond its history, the shofar's sound has the power to stir emotions, encourage reflection, and inspire personal growth.

Thinking about Maggie's story, I appreciate the chance we have to be awakened by the sounds of these holy days. These sounds are rare in the usual routine of family and work. We can let the shofar's sound enter our ears and our hearts. While it might not make us burst into laughter like the hoverboard did for Maggie, if we're open to it, the shofar's notes might encourage us to seek more happiness and lightness in the coming year.