Another anniversary

It turns out yesterday was the 40th anniversary of my bat mitzvah! I went to shul knowing that the week's portion was Chayyei Sarah (the life of Sarah), which was my bat mitzvah portion. I arrived early enough that the Kohen aliyah was still not taken, and the gabbai offered it to me.

I went up to the bimah to tell Rabbi Borodin that today's was my bat mitzvah portion, and she immediately asked how old I was. I told her I was going to be 53 next week, and she said, "It's the 40th anniversary of your bat mitzvah!"

When I went up for my aliyah, Rabbi B had prepared a mishebayrach for this occasion, also asking for blessings for good health. She even remarked to the bat mitzvah girl, "This is where you could be in 40 years!"

I called my mother after services and we had a nice catch up about favorite memories from my bat mitzvah. The memory that leaped to my mother's mind was my little sister turning around to say to my mother, "Look, Aunt Edol is finally here!" (Edol is chronically late to everything.) My mother also praised me for doing such a good job on that special day so long ago.

All in all, it was a lovely and most unexpected concatenation of Jewish moments.