Forgot to recite the blessing sheptarani, and is now embarrassed to recite it

My son had his Bar mitzvah a few months ago, and I didn’t recite the blessing “boruch sheptarani”. Now it’s not so pleasant for me to recite this blessing in a synagogue, after so much time has gone by. After I go up for a Torah reading in a synagogue, can I say the blessing quietly so that no-one will hear me, or does it have to be recited in a way that the congregation will be able to hear the blessing and respond to it?  

Dear …,

Without a doubt, “great is a dignity of persons” (as it states in the Talmud), and if you’re uncomfortable, and you don’t want to be asked embarrassing questions, you don’t have to recite this blessing when called up for a Torah reading.

If you can make this blessing in another setting, it is better to do so in the presence of many people. For example, you can recite it at a family gathering on Chanukkah, if there you’ll feel comfortable saying: “for all kinds of reasons, I couldn’t make this blessing when called up for a Torah reading at the Bar-mitzvah, therefore, I’m going to recite it now.”

Here I’m going to quote the author of Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chaim from Baghdad): “a boy becomes obligated to fulfill the commandments at the age of thirteen years and one day. Therefore, on the first day of his fourteenth year, the father should grab his son’s hand and say: ’blessed is the One who absolved me from the punishment of this one’ [ברוך שפטרני מעונשו של זה]. But Hashem’s name and His kingdom he should only pronounce in his heart (and not say them out loud). He should try to hold a banquet for his friends and admirers, and he should invite Torah sages to participate in it. He should make the banquet as generous and as happy as possible, according to what Hashem gave him in His goodness. And this banquet will be a great defender of the People of Israel, for our advocates will say before The Holy One, Blessed be He: ’Master of the Universe, see how Your children are happy with accepting the yoke of Your commandments upon themselves!’ This banquet is called a Mitzvah Meal. The father should recite the aforementioned blessing, which is recited without pronouncing the Hashem’s Name or His kingdom, at the banquet. And the participants should bless the son that he merit to grow in Torah, fear of Heaven and fulfillment of the commandments.”

But if this is also uncomfortable for you, you definitely can recite this blessing quietly, and you can even recite it a long time after the Bar Mitzvah. According to the letter of the law, there is no obligation to make this blessing in a way that others will be able to hear it.

Remo (commentary to the Shulchan Oruch, section Orach Chaim, chapter 22, §2); Ben Ish Chai (1^st year, §17); Biur Halachah, chapter 37, commentary to §3.