An Open Letter to My Bat Mitzvah Girl

To my favorite girl in the whole world!

I have twelve small gifts for you in honor of your becoming a Bat Mitzvah. Each one represents a gift that I can't actually give to you. They are already inside you, soul powers that you, and each one of us, is born with and must reveal.

There is only one of you. You are here on a unique mission in this world. No one else can do what you can do here. You will need to unwrap these twelve gifts over and over again throughout your life, in order to fulfill your mission and live properly as a Jewish woman, a beloved daughter of God.

Strength. The first gift are weights and they represent the inner strength that you will use to live a life of Torah and truth. It takes inner strength to face a world of materialism and instant gratification and strive for something deeper, something eternal. The Torah is eternal.

Integrity. The second gift is a mirror and it represents integrity. Integrity is the ability to look in the mirror and like what you see knowing that you are true to your values, no matter what anyone else may say or think about you.

Love. The third gift is caramel chocolate and it represents love. (Who doesn't love chocolate?) Real love, ahava, comes from the word 'hav' which means to give. Real love is giving and it expands our hearts more than that of the recipient.

Connection. The fourth gift is glue and it represents connection. Glue connects things that otherwise would stay apart. Your connection with your soul and with God are vital to your life's mission. The key to connection is authentic communication.

Wisdom. The fifth gift is a model of the solar system and it represents wisdom. God's world is vast, magnificent and stunning. Realizing how much we don't know is the key to wisdom. We are only aware of a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of reality. When we zoom out we see a bigger, truer picture. True wisdom leads to humility. Humility is knowing that no one is better or worse than you. We are all learning and growing.

Clarity. The sixth gift is a stress ball with water inside. Water is the essence of life. Water was around before the creation of our world. When we go inside to our essence we find clarity. Water connects us to our pure creative essence. We women have a special connection to water through our relationship to the mitzvah of mikvah.

Compassion and Forgiveness. The seventh gift is a first aid kit which represents compassion and forgiveness. We all have pain. May you approach painful events in your life, (both yours and others) with compassion and a desire to help heal. The more you can find compassion for your own limitations, the more compassion you will have for others. May you more often be on the giving end of compassion and forgiveness. Needing it is so much harder.

Faith. The eight gift is this book of mazes, and it represents faith, emunah. When you hit a wall, don't give up! Turn around and keep moving. Believe that there is a way out of the maze. Hashem will show you the way if you allow Him to guide you.

Courage. The ninth gift is this awful jar of sauerkraut, and it represents courage. The achievements we most value in life involve a courageous process. It takes tremendous courage to stick with a process that is often smelly and uncomfortable in order to reach your goals. Embrace the process!

Gratitude and Hope. The tenth gift, a siddur (prayer book) represents gratitude and hope. Say thank you to your creator, and to the people around you every day. Ask for what you most want, and open yourself up to receive, while being grateful for what you already have. This siddur contains the book of Tehillim. (Psalms) Dovid Hamelech (King David) wrote down every emotion that you can imagine in the book of Tehillim. When you don't have words, pick it up and read it. You will find hope.

Joy. The eleventh gift is a beach ball and it represents joy! Find joy in the simple things. Find joy in nature, in a day at the beach. Joy is seeing the blessings and miracles in each moment of life!

Beauty and Passion. The twelfth gift, these beautiful soaps represent beauty. The fire stickers represent passion. Follow your passions and you will find your inner beauty!

You are beautiful! Mazal Tov on your Bat Mitzvah. I love you!!