Triskaidekaphobia - what does it mean?

In Paternity, one of the characters (who happens to have been born on a Friday the 13) seems to experience bouts of bad luck. In chapter 33, as she is about to turn thirteen, she encounters the word "triskaidekaphobia" and a revelation of sorts ensues. If you're curious about the origins of the word, triskaidekaphobia, just click on the link.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Every work of fiction is allowed one coincidence. At least that's what I read somewhere. So when asked about the surprise climax in Paternity, that is what I share. But, speaking of coincidences, this afternoon I got a big surprise when my neighbor brought over a copy of today's installment of Dear Abby. It seems the leading letter reveals a real-life example of my fictional tale. If you've already read Paternity, then you know what I'm talking about. If not, please take the spoiler alert to heart before following this link.

Susan

Can rabbis really be gay?

Yes, they can. Indeed, some are. In "Paternity" one of the characters is a rabbi who also happens to be a lesbian. Of course this was not always accepted. And in many circles it still is not. But progress is being made. Here is a terrific story - written for children - which, like so many children's tales, would benefit many adults as well.
http://rabbidanielbrenner.blogspot.com/2006/12/oy-vey-rabbi-is-gay-childrens-tale-for.html

PATERNITY - What it's about:

When Joel Berger, an affable single-guy from Brooklyn, finds out he’s dying of cancer in upstate New York, he makes up his mind to try to produce a family heir before it's too late. But how to find that unsuspecting, soon-to-be mother-to-be?

Joel decides to appeal to the women in his macrobiotic dinner group for help. And before long he’s surrounded by a cast of colorful female characters including his overbearing and often hilarious Jewish mother, Sylvia.

The seeds sown in this unusual family saga take root and begin to grow, branching out in unexpected ways, blossoming with unexpected grace. But will Sylvia approve of the "diverse" offspring her son has spawned? Can a clever and determined grandmother manipulate the outcome of this glorious enterprise called family? Sylvia will surely try!

Paternity will surprise and delight as its twists and occasional U-turns lead to a most ironic ending.

Love Letters from Lil

Perhaps you too have an older relative

who has mastered the inner workings

of the Internet in a way that necessitates

forwarding every e-mail she receives

to every address on her contact list.

Mine is Cousin Lil, my mother’s cousin.

And I am blessed to count myself

among her contacts.

Some days, while on-line,

I can see them coming,

like an avalanche they fall

through the ether

straight into my inbox.

The same moniker repeating…

Lillycoo

Lillycoo

Lillycoo

I’m especially mystified by those bold

messages that threaten some manner of

cosmic misfortune if they are not forwarded

to at least ten people in the next twenty seconds.

And then there is the alarmist variety,

like the one that offers instructions on

what to do if someone kidnaps you by

locking you in the trunk of a car and

driving off (punch out a taillight and wave

your arm frantically through the hole).

Cousin Lil forwards them all.

I must confess that I’ve begun to delete

these communiqués from Lillycoo,

oftentimes unread and unopened.

But yesterday was a slow a day.

Lil’s subject line read:

“the most amazing video ever.”

I double-clicked it.

A frozen frame appeared behind

the familiar right-pointing triangle,

that universal symbol for Play.

YouTube.

How much do you love it?

Isn’t it the greatest thing since…

Cell phones?

The telegram?

Smoke signals?

I clicked on the triangle.

In the video, a man leads an elephant

to an easel near a group of onlookers.

He places a narrow paintbrush into the grip

of the creature’s nimble trunk.

I watch as the elephant begins to paint

a most astonishing portrait

of an elephant holding a flower.

Later, over dinner, I describe all this

to my husband who says, “Elephants

are very intelligent animals. They are

even known to mourn their dead.”

I ponder this a moment, wondering

if that artful creature might have been

painting a particular elephant.

Perhaps a cousin.