CoAbode

Celebrating Milestones, By Suzanne Rock

I believe that celebrating your child’s passage into adulthood is one of the most important occasions a parent and child can have. When I looked around to see what kinds of celebrations were out there I only found a few; a Bat Mitzvah, a Quinceanera or a Sweet Sixteen Party. Although I liked elements of all of them, I wanted to create an event that truly honored and celebrated my daughter’s uniqueness. Before I began, I asked her what she wanted and fortunately for me she wanted to have a big party with her friends and family. I decided to keep the details of the event a secret because I wanted to create an element of surprise. So here are the details of the day’s event…

In the morning I had her come into my master suite filled with flowers and she had her favorite breakfast and took a bubble bath. I then had a few girlfriends come over and gave her a massage, manicure and pedicure, facial, do her makeup and hair, and then they dressed her in a beautiful tailored red dress. Little did she know what was going on outside of closed doors. hehe We had over 75 people who love her creating an atmosphere of beauty with pictures, flowers, quotes, and collages made by her friends.

When Malia came out of the room she was escorted into the living room and surrounded by 8 women who took a huge part in influencing and raising her. They each talked about the difference that Malia has made in their lives. Not a dry eye in the room! Then we walked her out to the backyard where she walked under an archway created by people holding hands above her head. This led her to the center of the yard where people gathered around her in a circle. Many people then spoke to her about the qualities they saw in her that would make her an extraordinary woman. The air was filled with tears, gratitude, and laughter. After that, Malia talked about the kind of woman she wanted to become and as a group we all committed to her that we would support her in reaching her dreams and goals. The day’s event ended with a slideshow of her life, great food and dancing. I don’t think anyone who attended Malia’s Rite of Passage celebration will ever forget it, we all left feeling touched, moved and inspired. What a day!