Last night, my family and I went to Friday night services at Community Synagogue. My niece, Sydney was singing with the cantor. She was the center of attention. At one point a young couple brought their year-old daughter up to the bima to be officially welcomed into the Jewish religion. She was adorable, bestowing her gummy, sweet grin at all the right places and her parents were so proud and happy. All of our eyes were on them. They were the center of attention. My oldest niece, Molly is home from college and just got an internship with Milk Studios. She was the center of attention. The cantor approached my youngest niece, Addie about spending the Fall semester in Israel. She was the center of attention. Births, bas mitzvahs, graduations, choosing a college, a career, a mate, a dream. So many milestones. It’s hard not to feel, as we get older, that all of the important milestones are behind us. That we will no longer be the center of attention. No one will be watching and clapping as we enter menopause, go to work for the last time, get our first social security check, lose our spouses. So we plan vacations that we can’t really afford, start a business, maybe write a blog…find new dreams to keep ourselves visible, to prove to ourselves that our milestones are as important now as they were when we were young, when they were so much easier to carry.

Boy Meets Girl carynjune