Friday the 13th

“It is Friday the 13th,” I tell my legal assistant.

“Well,” she replies, “THAT explains it.”

Maybe it does.

This week was utterly exhausting. I collapsed into bed and slept 10 hours almost every night.

Every other call seems to involve CPS or custody disputes or bewildered, broken parents. And just as I hang up on one person, another call comes through. (To say nothing of the 3 calls that came through while I was on the phone.)

I’ve started dreading the “…” that indicates a message from reception.

So, I left work early and went to a therapy session tonight. And it was amazing. I went in exhausted. I left energized. Empowered.

And then I bought myself steak, and my favorite cheese, and my favorite wine. And I reminded myself that I like being an adult with the budget to treat myself.

Psalm 42 came to mind as I drove home today. Specifically, verse 11: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

I love that it says “I will yet praise him.” I don’t praise him because my soul miraculously feels less downcast. Or because everything works out. I yet praise him because I know who I put my hope in. And thank goodness it isn’t me or my job or my ability to give good advice on important matters. It is in God. No matter my week, no matter the day, I will yet praise him.

Friday the 13th?

“It is Friday the 13th,” I inform my sister ominously. “And a full moon.” 

She looks at me blankly. 

“You know…Fridayyyyy the 13th!” I say again. 

Still no reaction. In fact, she tells me: “I don’t get it.”

“You don’t know Friday the 13th?” I ask. 

“No.”

“You’re pulling my leg!”

“No.” 

“How do you not know Friday the 13th?”

“Should I…?”

“It is like…bad luck.”

“???”

“And horror. Like Halloween but without any of the redeeming elements.” 

“So it comes every year…?”

“No…just when Friday falls on the 13th. Because 13 is an unlucky number…y’know?”

“No.” 

“Well…it is. And somehow it is more unlucky on a Friday.”

“How do you know this?”

“How do you not know this?!”

Another blank look. 

“Well, you know about full moons, right?”

“It is when the moon is…full?” 

“No! Well, yes! But like, werewolves and stuff come out. How have you missed all this? I’m sure there was an Arthur episode.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Peoples. My sister somehow missed all cultural context to bad luck or horror movies. I do not know how this is possible. Today has literally no meaning for her.