I don’t think most people think of Passover as the holiday of gratitude. I don’t think most people think of Passover, period. But, for those who do, especially secular Jews like me, Passover tends to be more about the Seder and the subsequent dietary restrictions than the meaning itself.

Passover is one of the most important Jewish holidays — it is when we commemorate the Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt. It is not so much a religious holiday as it is a celebration of freedom.

During Passover, we have a ceremonial dinner called a Seder with singing, reflection, and a lot of sensory play with food and wine. Arguably the catchiest song we sing during the Seder is called Dayenu.

The entire premise of Dayenu is that if the Jewish people had only been freed from Egyptian slavery, it would have been enough. Every subsequent miracle was seen as a bonus.

When I really stop to think about the meaning of Dayenu, the upbeat song I’ve been singing my entire life, I realize I do not spend nearly enough time accounting for how fortunate my life has been thus far. Instead, I’m obsessing over all the often trivial things I want.

It takes only a few seconds to think of simple aspects of my everyday life that should be enough.

If I only had reliable food, water and shelter. If I only had people who loved me. If I only had access to education, to writing and thinking. Dayenu.

In a society where people are always striving for more, constantly thinking about future achievements, how can I slow down and appreciate what I normally take for granted without feeling like I’m failing?

I think the answer comes from redirecting my need to achieve. Rather than centering my own wants when thinking about what projects I’m going to tackle, I am committed to focusing on devoting more of my time and energy to making the various communities around me more equitable.

It takes less effort than we think to positively impact another person’s life. If I can spend my life only receiving the sensation of fulfillment from the way I make other people feel, that would be enough.

Dayenu has been stuck in my head for a few days now, reminding me to spend more time this holiday being grateful and thinking of ways to share the blessings in my life than missing eating bread.

Social pressure tells us we should constantly be striving for personal growth, but oftentimes, the best way to grow is by sharing ourselves and our resources with our community.

Maybe, if we all commit to channeling our gratitude into looking out for each other a bit more, Dayenu — it will be enough.

Sylvie Slotkin is a Medill sophomore. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.