The Calm Before the Storm

Well, I don't really want there to be a storm until Sukkot is over, but this morning - the day after Yom Kippur - everything seemed to be hushed. Not just quiet, but sort of like everyone was laying low.
We all did our best yesterday. We prayed. We cried. We banged our chests. We were hungry. We were inspired. We sang, "Next year in Jerusalem."
We all hope that Hashem, the G-d Above, will grant us a happy healthy peaceful and prosperous new year. So, why the hush? How come my phone's not ringing every ten seconds like usual? How come it seems a bit quieter outside too?
I think that perhaps after Yom Kippur is over - after we've spent an entire day as I explained above involved in worrying about our souls and our lives, we can't just "go to the Mall" or "put the pedal to the metal" at work. We've got to breath a little, thank G-d for our lives, check in with our family and friends, and then ease back into the real world.
Many men pick up their hammers as soon as the bagels are finished at Break-Fast. That's their way of saying, "I can't wait the 'game' just yet," or "No, I don't want the newspaper." "Let's clinch the deal with G-d by really starting out on the right foot - straight away with another mitzvah. I'm not going in to rest. I'm going outside to build."
So, we had a calm day today, and everyone's just kinda hugging and wishing each other the best. and taking it easy.
Tomorrow the action begins - back to work, more banging on the sukkah, planning holiday menus and organizing Chol HaMoed (intermediate holiday days) activities for the kids.
So, Sukkot is the storm - an exciting good storm of family and visiting and singing and "rejoicing in the holiday."
And then when it's all over, let it rain, let it pour, let the heavens bless us with W-A-T-E-R. And I for one will lead the "singing in the rain."