As it’s my birthday, July 13 has always been my favorite day of the year (save for the days that I make it to Pinkberry in time for their Happy Hour specials).  And this year was especially great– as Lisa writes below, we held our annual V+P out-and-about on the 13th! The day was a blast.

With the 13th being such an important date for me, I’ve decided that this meaningful number deserved its moment in the spotlight. After all, the number that introduces “the teens” is important in so many ways! So here goes…a look at how #13 impacts our lives:

1.  Before the U.S.A. was “the U.S.A.,” it was a big ol’ group of 13 colonies.

2.  Jason Robert Brown (whose The Last Five Years is one of my all-time favorite soundtracks) wrote the music for an all-teenage musical about 13-year-old Evan Goldman.  In 2008, the musical opened on Broadway.  Yup: its title was 13.

3.  Growing up, getting to watch your first PG-13 movie feels like freedom. (Though I’m an adult, I find some of the best movies are still PG!)

4.  And finally, the best basketball players, obviously, take the number 13: