At the end of November 2021 my wife Kym and I were invited to a 12 Tasks celebration in Nairobi. Abigail Johnson had just completed 12 challenges during her 12th year and it was now her 13th birthday. Abigail’s parents, Lew and Brandy Johnson, had invited their neighbors and friends to witness the celebration. We had become friends of the Johnsons and part of the connection had been when they did their version of 12 Tasks with their first daughter, Elizabeth. They had heard about 12 Taks from other parents and hadn’t realized we were the ones who had started 12 Tasks. They had enjoyed doing the 12 Tasks with their first daughter, Elizabeth, and shared with us some of the tasks they had done, including Elizabeth starting a business and selling ‘cub cakes.’ (This is mentioned in our book 12 Tasks: Creating a Rite of Passage.) Now, they had just completed Abigail’s year.
At Abigail’s celebration her parents explained to those who had gathered the purpose of the 12 Tasks and gave a brief description of Abigail’s big year. Her parents had had asked for some of us to write out blessings for Abigail. Two of the blessings and prayers came from Abigail’s grandparents in the US. Brandy and Lew read these. Kym and I each read out our blessings along with a few other close family friends. Finally, Lew and Brandy read out their own prayers and blessings and ended with a prayer.
To complete the birthday celebration, Abigail received presents and we all ate an ice cream cake. Abigail felt a bit uncomfortable with all the hullabaloo, but I’m sure she will never forget the day she completed her 12 Tasks and had a celebration as she became a teenager.
