3 days ago my youngest son, Zeke, turned 8 months old.    I am now sitting in the waiting room at Children’s Memorial Hospital waiting for him to come out of surgery.   It is nothing life-threatening (Thank G-d).   But no parent wants to be doing this on a Tuesday morning.  

24 days ago my oldest son, Noah, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah.

Because of the circumstances of this surgery, Zeke could not have his Bris and Jewish Naming until today.  So in one month, I will be celebrating a Bar Mitzvah and a Bris.  This is quite an experience.  I keep looking from my oldest son to my youngest son, and it is slightly surreal.  It was just yesterday that Noah was little like Zeke.  Little hands, little ears, baby smell that you can’t kiss enough.  Able to hold him completely in my arms.     

And it will be just tomorrow, that Zeke will be big like Noah.  BIG hands, broad shoulders, and love to show how strong he is by picking up his mom!  

I don’t know how many moms get to have this wonderful snapshot in time of “big” and “little”.   But it really broadens your appreciation of how fast time flies, and how you have to savor every day as a blessing.   

As Noah grows up, the memory of him as “little” is very real and special.   Kissing Zeke’s baby cheeks brings it right back.

As Zeke goes through the tough baby moments, the vision of him as “big” is so real and hopeful.  I can see how temporary those baby moments really are.  

Today, when Zeke comes out of surgery, the orthodox Rabbi (a mohel who was holding his hand during the procedure, complete in scrubs and everything) will oversee his “Naming”.  And we will use Noah’s Kiddush cup that was given to him on his Bar Mitzvah. 

What a gift, to have a “big” boy, almost a man, and a “little” boy, just a baby at the same moment in time.