...for the daughter of some friends of mine. Well, really, she's the granddaughter of some dear old friends of my parents. The grandparents have know my folks since they were kids, and we grew up referring to them as "Aunt" and "Uncle" even though they're not related...I assume many of you have similar relationships.
These friends of my parents have 2 daughters who we grew up thinking of as our cousins. Years went by and we mostly lost touch, but still see each other from time to time.
Anyway, this morning, the older daughter and her spouse were tremendously proud to see their daughter take the bima at their synagogue for her Bat Mitzvah. Not only did the girl perform a near-perfect rendering of both her Torah and Haftorah portions, but she actually led most of the service itself. I'm quite serious--at only 12 years old, she led about 2/3 of a nearly 3-hour conservative* Saturday morning service.
*(for those who aren't familiar with Jewish terminology, "conservative" in this context just means "mid-level religious" as opposed to "reform Judaism" or "orthodox Judaism")
Oh, there's one more thing I should mention: Both of her parents happen to be women.
Yes, they're a lesbian couple who have done a wonderful job of bearing and raising two awesome children (the Bat Mitzvah girl has a younger brother as well). And in the midst of this upper-middle class, fairly Conservative (political meaning this time) white Jewish community, her Bat Mitzvah was well attended and NO ONE GAVE A RAT'S ASS about the gender of her parents.
All anyone cared about was how proud we all were of the girl, and the joy we shared with her, her parents, her brother, her grandparents and the rest of her family and friends over this milestone in her life.
And that's just how it should be.
Happy Mother's Day (x2)
NOTE: Also please check out my diary from yesterday, "There's Still Hope, Even Today (w/Photo Diary)" which covers a very special experience I had helping with a local high school bond issue.