Comments on: Coming of Age: It Takes a Village

By: Annice

Annice — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 02:55:17 +0000

What a great post. Forget the question part, I just wish my mother, her friends, my grandmother, my aunts, my sisters and my friends had an opportunity to sit together to talk openly and honestly. What a beautiful occasion-one that your young Bat Mizvah girl will never forget.

By: dearpru

dearpru — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:36:58 +0000

Egads, Cathy. What a thought-provoking post! You really know how to get the old hard-disc in my head spinning. I concur with Rosemary in that, no matter what pearls of wisdom are dropped into a 12-year-old’s ears, rare is the girl who can recognize their value. You took your neighbor’s wisdom to heart, Cathy, and I still remember the first time I met you and your 1,000 watt smile as you greeted me.

I guess that I wish someone I respected and admired at age 12 (Davey Jones, most likely) had told me how fast life goes, and while you can waste your child-bearing years pining after rock ‘n’ roll bad boys–or teen vampires, as it is today–the boys and girls worth spending a lifetime with are those who love and respect their families, are involved with their communities and care deeply for animals and this fragile planet we live on together.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:16:48 +0000

Wow,such pearls, such wisdom, such a mitzvah for our Lily.
… Mel, a Jewish woman can have a Bat Mitzvah at any age, a non-Jew can create her own women’s circle and ceremony. Christie, it is so thought-provoking isn’t it? I’m sure you’ll be thinking about it for days like I have. Rosemary, I don’t know if Lily will take it all in, we’ll see. I’ll report back next week. Thanks all! Keep ‘em coming!

By: Christie

Christie — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:07:35 +0000

Don’t confuse age with maturity. Don’t compare yourself negatively with anyone else. Do experience and share love every day. Do risk embarrassment.

Thought provoking post Clever Cat.

By: Carine

Carine — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:25:41 +0000

That friendly, smiley guy leaning something hard on your hand as you hold the pole in the subway is not being friendly. He’s being a pervert and it’s okay to embarrass him by asking what he’s doing in a really loud voice.

By: Jeff S

Jeff S — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:52:17 +0000

Hmmmmm….now that I am older (and alledgedly wiser) I wish I knew then that my Dad was smarter that I thought he was……I know I was smarter than my kids…..some day they will think the same! Advice is only good when it suits you!!!

By: Lala

Lala — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:57:52 +0000

Hello All,
Lily’s mom Leslie here…..
Thank you for all the amazing beauty you are writing.
I’m printing every word for Lily’s memory book and for the great wisdom that you offer.

What I will share with Lily and with the women’s circle tomorrow night is that it’s common and normal to some extent to be experiencing some self criticism and doubt as you begin your teen years.

Rather than keep all these feeling inside, it would have been helpful to have been guided to methods and techniques to build an internal health relationship with myself.

Knowing about meditation, chanting and yoga, even if I wouldn’t have been ready to dive in quite yet, would have been a blessing.