I listened to the phone message from Cindy and knew that something was wrong. I could hear it in her voice, even through the static on my answering machine. I called her back immediately, and my worst fears were confirmed: Cindy had breast cancer.

We didn't speak often after that because Cindy needed to conserve her energy for the never-ending doctors' appointments, surgeries, and chemo sessions that took over her life. I marveled that she was determined to continue working through it all, even though it took every bit of strength she had. But over the months of treatment, something special happened to Cindy that changed her life, almost as much as having cancer had.

As is frequently the case with cancer patients, Cindy's life totally revolved around her illness. Every decision, appointment, and choice, even the food she ate, related to it. How would she tolerate the next chemo session? Would she be too tired to attend her daughter's school play? Should she shave her head or wait for her hair to fall out? Would she ever feel normal again? So many questions with so few satisfactory answers turned her life into an emotional roller-coaster. And even when she was told by her doctor that she would start to feel better again in eight months, the thought did little to cheer her.

During this time, Cindy tried to go to synagogue every Saturday because it was something she had done P.C. (pre-cancer) that gave her the sense of normalcy she so desperately needed. And it was there, sitting among friends at Shabbat morning services, that she discovered the true meaning and power of the Rosh Hodesh prayer for the new moon.

Rosh Hodesh, which means "head of the month," was a day of great significance in ancient times. The new moon's sighting by at least two witnesses and the declaration by the beit din, the rabbinic court in Jerusalem, signified the date upon which all holidays were fixed. The sighting was communicated to Jewish settlements throughout Israel and the Diaspora by setting fires on the hilltops of Jerusalem, starting a chain reaction from one community to the next. Sacrifices were offered, incense was burned, special prayers were chanted, festive meals were eaten, and the shofar was blown.

Today we celebrate Rosh Hodesh in gatherings or at the synagogue. We recite special blessings and prayers, beginning with: "May it be your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors, to renew our lives in the coming month and bring us well-being and blessing."

Cindy had recited that prayer by rote many times before but had never really considered its meaning. Those words became a touchstone for her and helped bring order to the chaotic life that her cancer had created. They became a measuring rod for her progress: She just had to get through her treatments one month at a time until she had a chance to ask for another month of renewed health and blessings.

Living with cancer made Cindy more reflective, aware, and grateful of what it means to be alive. The Rosh Hodesh prayer gave her a time to speak to God and acknowledge her appreciation with these words: "Eternal God, source of life, as a new month approaches, we are reminded of the passing of the seasons, of the preciousness of time, and of the limits of our earthly journey."

And now, many years later, she looks back at that difficult period of her life with renewed appreciation: for her body's strength, for the support of her friends and community, and for the comfort and hope that the Rosh Hodesh prayer gave her each month. Its closing words are ones she strives to live by through "a life marked by true piety and the dread of sin, a life free from shame and reproach…, a life filled with the love of Torah and reverence for God...."

Rosh Hodesh is more than a holiday; it is a monthly opportunity for spiritual renewal, a chance to look at our lives, one month at a time, and recognize that we have the continuing power to start over. It is also a time to realize that no matter how difficult our struggles may be or how hard life is at this time, we only need to make it to another month, when we can ask again for renewed strength and blessings.