Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Mitch and His Menorah

Today is the second day of Hanukah. Before the holiday started, we debated if we were going to let Mitch, our not-quite-three year old son, light his own Menorah. At first, we decided that we werejust going to let him help me with mine, and on the first night he did just that. But last night, after talking to some friends, we decided to let him light his own. He was ecstatic. Maybe it was his gift of a chanukah book, or the colored candles, or something totally different, but he put on his Yarmulka without the usual fuss, and lit his menorah (with Daddy's help of course).

As I stood their watching the light of the two Menorahs burning in our front window, I couldn't help but think of two things:

1- Our little boy is growing up
2- How amazing it is that a tradition of over millenia has just been handed down to yet another generation.

This morning, he found the box of candles in the Kitchen, and picked out candles for tonight and stuck them in his menorah. He then told me he was ready and wanted to light.

If only I can get him to love religion this much for the next 117 chanukas or so.

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