Friday the 13th

Friggatriskaidekaphobia! It causes panic attacks. No I am not swearing at you! It means the fear of Friday the 13th. There is a lot of discussion on exactly where does this superstition come from. It can be founded perhaps in religious references – Christ was crucified on a Friday, King Philip IV of France had the Knights Templar arrested on Friday, Oct. 13, 1307, Ancient Romans weren’t huge fans of 13 either believing that witches gathered in groups of 12, and a 13th person joining them would be the devil. For me, personally, I have only had the best of luck on Friday the 13th. I was offered a most prestigious job, received two of my highest raises on the 13th, and always wake up happy and refreshed on this day. Hmmm…. Living from fear and superstition is an unhappy road to travel. I choose not to live in fear but from a place of love. It makes the world seem much more miraculous. But please allow me to digress – I was not always like this. After my parents died, nine months apart, I became reclusive, questioning why they had to die and so close to each other, why didn’t friends or family step up and provide support to me or my family, is there life after death? Now that’s another huge topic, but in the midst of my wallowing, I decided to pick myself up and bought a Havanese puppy for our family. It was the best thing I have ever done. Named by our son, Justin, ‘Kobi’ is the Diminutive of Jacob meaning “may God protect” and boy has H/he opened our hearts. We looked at friends and family differently, we laughed and communicated with one another more constructively. Living from fear only causes pain – that I can attest to. It’s figuring out what to do about it for yourself and others around you that make you a survivor. How will I enjoy Friday the 13th? Writing, laughing, feeling grateful for everyone and everything in my life, and perhaps, watching the old movies entitled Friday the 13th, c1980. I grew up on them. 🙂