Time.
The clock keeps ticking, sending us subtle messages. A meeting to attend, a flight to catch, a friend's birthday. It can be a simple matter of sitting in traffic for a few extra moments. At times it is winter giving way to spring. Sometimes it is an entire stage of life; a baby growing into a toddler, a bar mitzvah boy now a young man, a first-time parent cradling a new life in their arms.
Yet the seconds all tick just the same. On the one hand, they advance us to new opportunities and much-anticipated occasions. While on the other, those same moments pass, never to return.
Beginning on Passover, we count 49 days of the Omer, commemorating the countdown (or countup) that the Jews did when traveling from Egypt to Sinai and the giving of the Torah. Each evening after nightfall, we count "Today is one day of the Omer", etc.
It is the only time during the year when each day has its own unique Mitzvah. Each day counted individually. Counting yesterday was great but does not fill today's need.
The Omer count has a powerful message: Each and every day counts. Yesterday's failures do not limit me today. Yet today's successes don't allow me to ignore tomorrow. Every minute represents opportunity, every second has limitless possibilities to tap into.
Seize the moment. Turn a fleeting moment into a timeless one. Tackle a challenge. Hug a loved one. Mend a relationship. Make today shine bright!
ב"ה