It will be hard for me to stop calling him a kid because all I see is a round-faced-curly-haired-side-smirk of someone I knew long ago and who used to be much shorter than me. On this day he took a step forward on his road to becoming a man - with his faith, his family, his friends and most importantly with himself. Wrapped around him is a Tallit that had belonged to his great grandfather. Not just a prayer shawl, but also a spiritual hug from those who came before him and were there too in that moment…sharing in a long tradition of ritual, wisdom, and story. It was the most beautiful day. 

Mazel Tov on your Bar Mitzvah…know that you are loved by so many.