Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived with her mother at the edge of the forest. Her grandmother lived on the other side of the forest. One day, the mother said to the little girl, “I am sending you on a very important mission. Grandma needs this basket. You’ll have to go through the forest to deliver it. Please be careful, and don’t get distracted by other things in the forest.”

The girl reassured her mother that she would deliver the basket to Grandma safely. She set out on her way, walking deeper and deeper into the forest. She tried to focus on her goal, but many things came up on the way. A squirrel invited her to play a game, convincing her that no one in their right mind could possibly come through the forest without playing this amazing game. A deer dared her to race him, explaining to her that it was terribly important. When the girl put her basket down — only for a moment, a chipmunk stole it, and the girl had to chase him to get it back.

Will the girl get to Grandma’s house before Grandma is swallowed by the big bad wolf?

This is the journey of our soul as it comes down to this world, entrusted with a special mission. The soul is committed to reach its destination, but many distractions come along the way. On an average day, do we even remember that we are in this world on a mission? Or do we get pulled into everything else going on in our lives?

It’s almost Rosh Hashana, time to reevaluate our priorities and refocus on our goals. Will we renew the commitment that our souls made before they came down to the world?