My best friend gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and the baby's baby naming is coming up (Sim chat Bat,
as it is known in Hebrew.) My best friend is also a Rabbi, and this is
her first child, and this is a very important day for her.
I live
in a very Jewish area. 50 percent of my high school was Jewish. 50
percent of the world's population is not Jewish, but 50 percent of my
high school was Jewish.
So why exactly did it take me three
trips to three different card stores to find a baby naming card? When
they had a million Christening, Baptism, and Dedication cards? And
what exactly is the difference between a Christening, Baptism, and
Dedication that they each need a hundred different cards?
I realize I just could have gotten her any generic baby girl card, but
I did not want to. And I should not have to. This is not an uncommon
tradition. And when I finally did find the card I needed I found one
version. One. So I bought two, one for my parents, and one for me.
Yet,
they had every kind of Christening card imaginable. Christening your
special needs child. Christening your adopted child. If I was the
parent of a special needs child or the parent of an adopted child I
would be so offended by these cards. Your child is your child. You
don't need to call them out on the day of their Christening for being
different. Can't we just celebrate them for being them?
I'm
not Christian, but does it matter at their Christening that they have
special needs or are adopted on the day of their Christening? Really?
It is so important they need their own card? But Jewish children can't
have a card?
It is almost like being over inclusive and under inclusive at the same time.
