At What Age...

At what age did you get your ears pierced?

I was seven. To make a long story short, my parents had actually said 12. But I bargained it out by learning to ride a two-wheeler.

Yael started an ear-piercing campaign shortly after her fifth birthday.
I hemmed and hawed. It seemed like every day she'd come home with a new story of a different friend who "just got her ears pierced."

With only one girl in the family, I knew that I was not likely to be setting a major precedent if I allowed ear piercing at age 6. (I'm sure I'll let you know when the boys ask for it.)

So I finally agreed.

I asked around and decided that the place at the mall was the right spot.
I wanted someone who did it a LOT and had a relatively vested interest in making their customers happy and keeping them healthy. I called ahead to make sure there would be two people to do both ears at the same time.

Little did I know that Yael did her own research. Are you at all surprised?
On a regular basis, she has been dragging Uncle Josh to the mall (she has afternoon kindergarten so there are lots of open mornings) and visiting The Store Where They Pierce Ears. She's learned names. She's observed ear piercings. She told me all about the chair she would sit in and the stuffed bear she would get to hold. And the way they would mark her ears. And which of her "friends" at the place would help her.

I should not be surprised but I was totally in awe.

And just like that, trip-trap, she plopped herself into that chair, and got her ears pierced.

Lest you think I haven't contemplated the Jewish implications of this ear piercing experience, check this out.