My Bar-Mitzvah Party

When a boy reaches the age of thirteen, or a girl; twelve, they become responsible for themselves. It is customary to celebrate this day with an extremely extravagant party. Yessir, on that day, that young person gets everything he wants and more (Of course it wasn't, and I didn't, but that's beside the point). And on Sunday, 3/16/2008, that lucky boy was none other than yours truly.
After almost a year of preparation on my mother's part to make an excellent party, everything turned out great. There was food--and good food at that--dancing, and speeches, because what would a party be without speeches. As my father put it, "I know that this is not something we look forward to, so we'll make it short and sweet." And truly they were, and everyone was happy to get up and dance again.
And of course, there was entertainment: this was done particularly well by a keyboard player named Yoel Hecht (http://mysite.verizon.net/vzesq769/yoel_hecht/). Balloons, music, kept over 50 kids enthralled for four hours, he does it all.
On Friday, I read Megillat Esther, the Scroll of Esther, to fulfill the custom that when a boy turns 13, he engage in a public reading of something (that he could not do before he was 13). Or, to be more precise, he reads something from the Torah--and I read that too (the special reading that we say on Purim) After may "Mazal Tov"s and much throwing of candy (yes, that's also a custom), I also read for a shut-in old lady, since it is a commandment for every man, woman, boy, and girl, to hear it.
But now, I feel and an emptiness, a void in my life. With my Bar-Mitzvah done, and the play over, my life just seems so...........relaxed; empty. Amazing.