Hi there,
I hope everyone reading this had an amazing Easter Sunday spent with full stomachs from eating lots of food and full hearts by spending lots of time with loved ones. For me, I am one of those people that look forward to each and every holiday. Life can be routine and mundane sometimes that it is so refreshing and exciting to come together with the people you love most and just celebrate. Does anyone else love holidays?
This year I wanted to make sure that Easter Sunday was jammed packed with activities. We only get a few hours in the holiday to make it super special, so I didn’t want to waste a single minute. I was pretty much the one who came up with the entire itinerary to ensure that no stone was left unturned. We started the day with church and then headed to brunch at a local breakfast place (Benedict in Dyer if you live in NWI and want to try, it’s AMAZING). After brunch, I came home, made a cheesecake and freshened up. I ended the day at my aunt’s house where we ate dinner, sat outside on the porch since the weather was over 70 degrees and then just enjoyed each other’s company with stories of year’s past shenanigans.
Although it may sound like the perfect, well-planned day, there were still bits and pieces that felt thwarted. Church was on my mind for weeks now, and I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel a great sense of hypocrisy when I go to church because I only seem to make an appearance around the major holidays. I’ve been struggling with my spirituality a lot lately as I often feel disappointed when I don’t leave church feeling some sort of enlightenment. The theme was pretty typical for an Easter service, something I had heard before, so nothing felt new and resonated with me on a personal level. That was my expectation and I left feeling really discouraged. I have to remind myself though that it’s kind of like exercising, you can’t expect to work out one day at the gym and instantly lose 5 pounds. It’s something that takes commitment and discipline and you have to be completely open and willing to accept His message. I do feel peace when I leave the building after service, so Sunday made me realize how important it is to also make Him a priority in my life.
This was also a holiday of great loss. It was the first major holiday that both my grandpa and grandma weren’t here for. My grandpa passed in January and my grandma passed in March. My grandpa’s presence was physically missed as his seat at the dinner table was now not occupied. My grandma lived in Arizona, so although her attendance at family events wasn’t normal, the fact that I knew a message or email wasn’t coming made me grieve. Holidays are weird because on one hand you are happy to be around the people sitting at the table, but on the other, you can’t help but to notice the empty chairs of those that should be. Over time, wounds heal, and maybe come Thanksgiving the feeling of loss won’t be so prevalent, but those who were now not with us were surely missed this year.
One of my favorite parts about any major holiday is the FOOD! We keep it pretty traditional on Easter: ham, deviled eggs, sweet potatoes, creamed cucumbers, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, jello and my cheesecake for dessert. It was all so delicious, I’m not going to lie, I had like three plates. It also came as a surprise that my aunt still made up and hid an Easter basket for me. That has been a fun tradition of ours since I was little, so even though I’m now 23, it was funny to see that part of our holiday still happen. Nothing crazy in the basket, just some candy and a $15 Starbucks gift card. Used it today on a Carmel Macchiato and egg bites! Some of the baskets I saw on Instagram made Easter look like the second Christmas. I personally think that is a little crazy, but hey, to each their own, I guess.
Sunday was a great day. Although all of my expectations for the day weren’t 100% met, it was great to see family and eat good food. Another holiday comes and goes, but Easter’s message should stay with us forever. I vow to make that a priority. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday!
Sincerely,
