Stay Curious

As parents, there are so many things that we wish for you, our children. We want you to be safe, happy, and healthy. We want you to exercise, eat your vegetables, be nice to people, and to stay off social media and all devices with screens forever. 

We try our best to teach you how to make good decisions on your own, but at a certain point, we have to let go, and trust that you’re going to be ok. There are just too many variables for us to control — too many wishes. 

But if I had to choose one thing that I wish for you, Kinley, more than any other, it would be for you to stay curious. 

Kinley — you took the initiative to understand what it means to become a Be Mitzvah. To find new friends with the same interests, to learn to read from and understand the Torah, and to look within yourself to find your own personal connection to Judaism.

As a parent, watching you follow this path has brought me so much joy. And being here today to see you share your discoveries with us is, for a parent, about as good as it gets.

Curiosity is the gateway to wisdom. It’s an endlessly renewable fuel on which an interesting, engaging life runs. 

Kinley, you are here because you followed your curiosity. You followed it from our home to a new classroom, then up a steep mountain road, and down a winding path through the forest, to a beautiful place filled with friends and family that love you very much. 

Take a minute to look around. Remember this time and place. Remember these faces. 

Now that you are a Be Mitzvah, and begin the process of designing a more independent and vibrant life for yourself, remember that it was your curiosity that brought you here. 

Remember to stay curious, and everything will be ok. 

Love,

Me