With less than two weeks to go before Noah’s Bar Mitzvah, an unexpected fear has taken up shop in my head. There it lives, quiet most of the time, except for the six or seven three or four times each day when it whispers insidiously to me, preparing me for the worst. I’m not worried that Noah won’t be ready to read the Torah (the kid’s a pro) or that the DJ won’t show up (they, too, are pros) or that my dress won’t fit (stopped eating solid foods last week). I am worried about something of which I (surprise) have no control.
I’m worried that someone is going to get sick.
I know several stories of real sickness on Bar/Bat Mitzvah days and I can’t imagine that I would not completely flip out. And of course, my guys have not been sick in quite some time– so in my mind, that makes them prime targets of the Universe.
By simply writing this blog post and publicly facing my fears, I hope I am preventing a self -ulfilling prophecy. But it also never hurts to pray. So here I offer a prayer for health on October 16.
Dear God:
Please keep my family healthy for October 16, 2010. If you look in your book of illnesses and we happen to be already scheduled for that day, could we possibly switch with another family? We would gladly take Monday, October 18 – and even Sunday October 17th if we had to. Also, any of us could get sick October 4 – 13 as long as it is a bacterial illness and not viral. We are happy to be cursed with strep throat or an ear infection, treatable with a 24 hour Z-Pac of antibiotics.
If you have no choice but to strike us ill on October 16, please let it be something that can be masked with large doses of Motrin. Please no stomach viruses or head lice. If it has to be head lice, please forgive us for telling no one and infesting our entire guest list in Your name. If it has to a stomach virus, please let it be me as I am likely to be nauseous that day anyway.
Please forgive me for forcing my children to go to bed early for the next two weeks, bugging them to wash their hands after they touch anything, and turning down invitations to go skateboarding. Also, please do what you can so that the other children do not laugh at them when they show up to school in a giant plastic bubble.
I know this is much to ask. But as the person who has spent the last two years planning this event, I feel like have taken care of everything else. If you could lend a hand here, I will be eternally grateful.
Shalom,
Emily
P.S. I have heard you have a sense of humor at times. I hope this is one of them.
