I hope this Easter finds you well, surrounded by friends and/or family and that you all remember/find the true meaning of Easter.
My memories of Easter this year will be:
Beautiful Easter Vigil service (Sat. night before Easter Sunday Mass for all you non-Catholics) even though I almost fell off the cantor stand "booster" after I did the Gospel acclaimation.
Lovely Easter Sunday morning breakfast with my friends at church.
My children looking beautiful in their Easter attire.
Feeling at peace with my Lenten time and how "in Lent" I felt I was. I don't ever recall being this in tune with Lent. I even remembered not to eat meat, on Fridays, more than I forgot.
Having Conrad, my girls and Jon (and his friend Nick) here for Easter dinner which was cooked out over the grill and enjoyed by all.
Most of all, remembering that Christ died for all of us, then rose TRIUMPHANTLY from the grave! How wonderful is that?
OK, enough Easter Sunday preaching... on to more worldly things...
When we got home from church, we had an Easter egg hunt. Here are some pics...
After the hunt, we cooked out and I built a fire, since it was a chilly day, and here are Jon and Nick roasting marshmallows on it.
Here's Sadie whittling a stick on which to roast marshmallows.
Madeline lifting "heavy" marshmallow weights.
Anna doesn't roast marshmallows. She sticks them on a stick then eats them raw.After all these activities, we went on a bike ride and Anna, at some point, fell asleep.
Smooth ride, I guess.*****OK, before you go any further, I have viewed my blog (how you see it) and I have gone in 3 times to try and put space in (that I put in originally) between the paragraphs and poems, to no avail. I apologize if it is difficult to read. I tried.******
Last night, Conrad tells me that Sadie has found a tooth that she left for the tooth fairy in my nightstand. (As in the tooth fairy came and took the tooth and somehow it magically appeared in my nightstand.) He told her that parents can ask for a child's tooth to remember their "loosing teeth" time by. I thought it was a great cover story. However, when I got home she was intent on asking me about this tooth fairy thing. So we sat in her room and she told me she found the tooth. I asked her what she thought it meant (pretty smart, huh?) and she told me her daddy told her about the asking for the tooth thing. I asked her if she thought that was what happened and she said, hesitantly, "yes".
I asked her what she thought it meant before he told her that and she said that maybe her daddy and I were the ones who put the money under her pillow. I did not deny that observation. I asked her if that would be the worst thing in the world and she said "no". I confirmed her story (I'm trying to use other words in case children read this). I also told her it was her duty and responsibility to make sure the cover isn't blown for Madeline and Anna because there is plenty of time for them to find out the truth.
About five minutes later she asked "what about Santa Claus"? I said "as long as you believe in the spirit of Christmas, Santa will come. She asked "what does that mean?" I told her the truth and that she also had "duty and responsiblity" to keep Christmas alive for her sisters and also other children out there. I told her no one really talks about this because no one wants to ruin it for anyone else.
Then, the Easter bunny question. Confirmation from me.
Today, it's been like a page has been turned in her book. When we were at church, she didn't participate in the egg hunt (she did the one at home, though). She wasn't pouty or sullen or anything, just - I guess - mature is the word for it. She's been quiet today. I asked her before we went bike riding if she was OK. She told me she was tired. I asked if the whole "tooth fairy, Santa, Easter bunny" thing had her bummed and she said "no". I asked her if she felt like she was growing up and she said "I don't know". I said "do you feel all weird inside and you don't know what's going on?" She said "yes". I said "that's you growing up".
I would like to leave you with this beautiful poem that my friend Ann gave me for Easter. If you find yourself praying tonight and need one more person to thrown some blessings on, would you pray some Ann's way? She's going through a rough time right now and she could use some comfort and blessings right about now.
Easter Prayer for Renewal
Lord, send me a surprise.
One that catches me off guard
and makes me wonder.
Like Easter.
Send me a resurrection
when everything looks dead and buried.
Send me light
when the night seems too long.
Send me spring
when the cold and frozen season
seems endless.
Send me an idea
when my mind is empty.
Send me a thing to do
when I am just waiting around.
Send me a new friend
when I am alone.
Send me peace
when I'm afraid.
Send me a future
when it looks hopeless.
Send me Your resurrection
when I die, Jesus.
-Rev. Dr. Herbert Brokering
Amen!
Thank you, Ann.
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