Word Prompt – THIRTEEN – Cheryl Kupfer

The number thirteen is a celebrated milestone in the Jewish world. My personal take on thirteen is directed to a tiny minority – parents of fraternal boy and girl twins and the twins as well. It's an issue that I feel needs to be addressed, as I am in that population – a fraternal twin to a boy – and it seems as if there are more twins being born than there used to be. I myself have boy and girl twin grandchildren, am a great aunt to a pair, and a very close friend recently became a bubby of fraternal boy and girl twins.

When I turned thirteen, I ended up being “ghosted.” Everyone was so focused on my brother becoming bar mitzvah that no one remembered it was my birthday too! A milestone birthday. I had become a teenager. While currently, girls do have bat mitzvah celebrations and parties, and a day of being feted, it wasn’t a “thing” in my day.

So the purpose of my word prompt is to get the message out. Be mindful that your daughter is celebrating a birthday and make her feel special on her twin brother’s special day too. I actually praised the parents at a bar mitzvah kiddish I attended recently for having a birthday cake prominently displayed on the dessert table with their daughter’s name. Some of you might be thinking, "get over it," and I have, but I believe It’s these small gestures that lead to a habit of being considerate and thoughtful that will enhance the lives of those you are connected to.