Every Kid Should Have One

In a few weeks, my daughter will have her bat mitzvah, the coming-of-age ritual in Judaism in which a child is considered to enter adulthood. We’re going a bit crazy, my wife and I, tending to all the details for the ceremony and celebration—not to mention our demanding a day jobs. I’m trying—I really am—to savor this special time in my daughter’s life and in our family, but I’m struggling, too. Interestingly enough, a very helpful perspective came to me from an unexpected source, a non-Jew.

On top of everything else, my company is moving. We’re moving all the way across the street, but still there’s a lot of packing and tossing out to do, and last Friday night, I stayed late at the office to make a big dent in my moving preparations. Two co-workers were doing the same, and during a pizza break, I updated them with the refrains of joy and anxiety coursing through my mind.

To which one of my co-workers (yes, the non-Jew) responded, “You know, I wet to a bar mitzvah the other week, and the kid really stepped up and everyone in the room was rooting for him, and he loved it. Even though I wasn’t familiar with any of the rituals, I thought to myself, ‘You know, every kid should have one these. Whatever this is–every kid should have one.’”

I almost welled up. She got it. Her words would make a rabbi proud. That’s exactly right. Every kid should have one of these, and I’m thrilled that it’s my lovely daughter’s turn.

I am who I am, so I’m sure more stress will ensue, but every time I think about those words, I feel like I’m right on course and very lucky to have the child I do.