A Special Gift

While in Michigan, we met a friend from college whom we've stayed in touch with over the years. Our time was brief, but we were so glad to catch up with him and have him meet the kids for the first time. After he left, I noticed a gift he left behind for Judah. Knowing his Jewish background, we were struck with the thoughtfulness and care he put into it. The beautiful handwritten note read:

Dear Judah,

Welcome to the world! By the time your mom teaches you to read this letter, you will already know lots of things- like that 2 and 2 are four and that you have a big sister and brothers who love you very much. You won't know who I am, but your father and mother will always be very special friends to me. And that makes you special to me, too. You came along at a very important time in your family's lives- it will be many years before you fully realize how much we all cherish your arrival. So 2008 is a wonderful year for all of us, not only because you were born, but because it is the 60th birthday of the State of Israel. May people dreamed and struggled for Israel to become a reality and to keep her safe since. And you just happened to come along in the Jubilee Year of the Land of Judah- how about that, young man? In fact, the Israeli government is so happy about its 60th birthday this year that they threw a giant birthday party and even minted a special anniversary silver shekel (1800 of 'em) to mark the year and put it in an olive wood box (olive trees are a sign of hope for the future- ask your dad how many years it takes for an olive tree to make olives after you plant it). If you look carefully at the one, you'll see that the "O" in 60 is a pomegranate, which is the symbol for peace and prosperity in Israel. Judah, may you have every blessing of peace and prosperity that the land bearing your name has enjoyed. Happy birthday!

Fondly,

S.