Aryeh and his friend Isaiah on Aryeh’s Birthday
Today is a miraculous day! Amazing in every way! Today my son Aryeh turned 18 years old; today he is healthy and thriving.
I love that Judaism gives us ways to consciously mark each moment in time; today is a Shehecheyanu moment. Marking this moment gives me such joy! (Note: Every birthday is a shehecheyanu moment.) What a gift to know that Aryeh is celebrating being alive for 18 years.
Health is a gift that has never been taken for granted.
In the beginning, Aryeh’s life began with 3,000 platelets at birth; he was the first child to ever survive the specifics of his birth condition. For his first days, we referred to him as Bruiser because he was a tough baby who weighed 10 lbs and was nearly 22 inches long; he also had bruises throughout his little body including his precious brain. Most of us are born with approximately 150,000 to 250,000 platelets; he barely had enough to keep him alive. Once it looked like Aryeh would live, he became known as Champ; my boy was a fighter. We believed he might actually stay alive, but we weren’t certain that our dream would be so.
At approximately 9 weeks old, Champ was a thriving baby who was very much alive and definitely thriving; only after his bris, ritual circumcision, did we use the name we had chosen for him just before his birth. Champ became known as Aryeh. Saying his name on the first days following his bris brought tears to my eyes. We had always planned on calling him Aryeh, translated as lion, but we didn’t know that his name would be perfect for him. Aryeh is strong and able to take care of himself as he faces life; his name really does honor his spirit.
At almost 14 years old, Aryeh’s life took another dramatic turn. We found a arachnoid cyst on his brain. It took us many neurosurgeons and neurologists, two brain surgeries, and nearly three years of recovery time to bring him to health. I am honestly not sure how he survived, but HE DID!!!!
Our lion is beautiful, vibrant, and actively engaged in life. I think it might take him a couple of years to become grounded in health, but today he really is so much healthier than he was. This spring, Aryeh graduated high school and began actively figuring out his next years. I love his spirit and I love his drive.
I am the luckiest imma, mother. in the world. I have two beautiful children that are both thriving. Today I celebrate that although health was not a given in Aryeh’s life; he has always lived to the best of his ability and we are celebrating eighteen years together.
Never take life or health for granted; treasure what you have and celebrate it, even when times are tough. At this moment, I am feeling such gratitude to the universe; I have my baby boy (he will always be my baby) alive and well on his birthday.
Today is a Shehecheyanu moment. Aryeh’s birthday is a time to be grateful and to say
Blessed be the Living Spirit of the Universe that we survive, that we are alive, and have arrived at this very moment
~Shehecheyanu interpretation by Rabbi David J. Cooper