Good morning and happy Easter everyone! I hope that you are all enjoying a lovely day with family and friends today. I hope you have more eggs than you know what to do with, that fake Easter basket grass is strung all over your floors, that chocolate bunny ears are your snacks today, that you are dressed in beautiful spring pastels and that sunshine is all around. Maybe you attended church this morning. Maybe you are preparing for a meal or a picnic or a cookout with your loved ones. Maybe you are hunting eggs in the backyard or the park. Maybe you are picking out your favorite jelly beans and eating them as you watch cartoons with your children or grandchildren. Maybe you are having a fabulous brunch with mimosas and pastries. No matter what you are doing today, I hope it is exactly your idea of Easter and that you are happy.

Me, I am in Florida and away from my family. While it is Brodee’s first Easter, he too young yet to really know what is going on other than his mama will probably dress him in the adorable little Easter outfit that he got from his Babcia. I excitedly await that picture. My celebration is more of a quiet contemplation of Easter and it’s meaning, and of spring and newness. The only eggs around here were the scrambled eggs I had for breakfast and they were the usual color, nothing fancy. I enjoy my quiet time as the day unfolds. I sometimes still cook a traditional dinner on Easter, but this year I think I am just going to enjoy the day I have been given and not make any plans. Sometimes that’s good too.

Growing up, we always had Easter dinner with family. There was always a ham, and plenty of sides, and hard rolls that Babcia always baked a little too long. It became an expected tradition. The ham was made with beer or wine. The mashed potatoes were fluffy and creamy. The eggs were hidden in the yard. We colored the eggs with the old Paas kits and the flimsy wire egg holder with the bright fizzy tablets. Babcia told us how when she was young they used things in nature or around the house to color eggs. Coffee grounds for brown or tan, grass for green. We tried it ourselves one year and although it was fun, there’s nothing like the bright colors in the Paas kits… we were spoiled. We wrote on the eggs with our crayons before coloring them so that the words would magically appear through the coloring when they dried. We would hunt the eggs and play with the treasures in our Easter baskets until time for our Easter feast, which was always an early meal. We would eat and laugh and then play outside with our Easter haul until evening. I miss the time spent with family today, but I know that there will be many Easters to come as Brodee grows and has his own fun and makes his own Easter memories.

For many this year, Easter services will be online. While not quite the same, it still gives us a chance to experience the true Easter celebration. Maybe there won’t be any pretty dresses or new outfits, but there will still be gratefulness in our hearts. We can still appreciate the joy in this day.

Whether you are alone, or surrounded by family, I wish you a day of warmth and happiness. I wish you fresh starts, forgiveness, and love. I wish you a day that embodies the newness and optimism of Easter and of spring time. Happy Easter everyone, and may blessings abound!