Dearest Celia and Eddie,

You've planned this day for a long time, attended to the thousands of details on your checklist, selected the perfect site and menu, survived the hustle and bustle, and successfully assembled your friends and family together, graciously and warmly acknowledging each one.

Today, I learned a new word:  simcha.  Pronounced sim-kah, it's a Hebrew word that means "joy, mirth, gladness, gaiety, pleasure, happiness."

Aaron's bar mitzvah celebration was a profound day of simcha. It was perfectly joyful and much more.

And now we acknowledge you:  Thank you, Celia and Eddie, for sharing this most cherished of events with us. You've delighted our hearts, made us happy.

With you, we've caught those last glimpses of your sons on the cusp of manhood.  Twice now, at Alex's bar mitzvah and now Aaron's, we've watched them take on adult responsibilities for the first time, backed by powerful traditions and rituals that go back thousands of years.   

I found these lyrics by T.J. Loughran on the 'Net.  They so  perfectly express how happy and proud you are of Aaron and Alex, that I've linked them here.  (But first, grab a Kleenex, we know what "softies" you are)

You are the heart of the simcha. 

You were given two precious gifts of life, and by your actions, we see that you have cherished them, never taking them for granted.  Your loving and involved parenting has been inspirational.  

We wish you "Mazel Tov" !

With Aloha, your neighbors and friends,
T & D

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