13

I'm not a superstitious person at all.  I don't believe in luck - good or bad.  So I don't think that the number 13 is a bad thing.  When I was in college, I lived on the fourteenth floor of a dormitory.  However, it was really the 13th floor, but due to superstition, it was called the 14th floor.  I read that a spokesman for Otis elevators reports that of buildings containing elevators, they estimate that 85% of buildings do not have a floor named the 13th floor.  Silly, really.

There is one bad (or sad) thing about 13, though - to parents at least.  That's when your youngest child turns 13!  Yep, Benjamin is 13 years old today.  The baby of the family is now a teenager.  Wow.

Our teenager

Although we're not Jews, I appreciate the way that Jews celebrate Bar Mitzvahs when young men reach the age of 13.  It means "Son of the Commandment" and signifies that they are 'coming of age.'  Upon turning 13 they are obligated to observe the commandments and learn about all the obligations that go along with being an adult, including being held accountable for your actions.  I find it hard to disagree with any of this.

Benjamin working in the garden harvesting carrots - an obligation of being an adult - WORK!

Where does the time go?  We were looking through old photo albums from when Benjamin was born.  In some respects it seems such a short time ago, but in others, it seems like eons ago.  So much has changed since then.  One thing is for sure - we only have a short time to mentor, teach, exhort, encourage, mold, and instill virtues into our kids before they're on their way, forging their own streams and blazing their own trails.

One is no longer a teenager, one will turn 20 this year, and one turned 13 today.  They're all growing up!

There is a quote I really like on the topic of growing up.  It is by Mitch Albom, who wrote Tuesdays with Morrie, among other books.  He makes the following statement:

“Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them - a mother's approval, a father's nod - are covered by moments of their own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.” 
― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I think that is a true statement for the most part.  We're so anxious to grow up and make our own memories, live life based on our own narrative.  It is only much later that we realize how much we're standing on the shoulders of our Moms and Dads - that who we are is largely due to the cumulative experiences of our upbringing given to us by our parents.  That's why it is so important to give our offspring stories, memories, and a legacy to continue.

We can't be distracted in parenting.  We've gotta stay focused.  Time passes so quickly. Don't blink!

Having his cake and eating it too!

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!  We are proud of you and we love you.