Easter is undoubtedly my favorite holiday. Its always been a sign to me that winter is over and school is winding down, and I always get this overwhelming sense that everything is going to be okay. Winters are so hard for me, and I tend to lose sight of pretty much everything. This fog falls over me and I get lost in how sad I get. But springtime, springtime is the time for freedom and renewal. It's bright and soft and somehow gentler and it's so much easier to feel like things will turn out alright in the springtime.
The other day I was telling my dearest friend about how excited I was for Easter Sunday and she seemed confused. She pointed out that I'm not particularly religious and that Easter is all about Christianity (like most other popular holidays). As I began to explain to her why I love Easter the way I do, I realized that it runs so much deeper than just loving the change in weather.
When I was a kid, we would always meet up with my dads side of the family for the big holidays. Easter, obviously, was one of these. Grandma had MS and was sick all the time. I can't recall a single time seeing her standing up. She was also the sweetest person in the world. She seemed to be happy with her life and always took time to notice the little beautiful things of the world. She'd lay in her bed and just watch the birds outside. She was lovely. Easter was particularly special though. If she was feeling well enough, my dad would help her into a wheelchair and grandpa would push her outside; she would watch all the kids running wildly about her yard searching for eggs. While grandma always had a smile, I think she smiled especially sincerely those days.
So I guess the biggest reason I love Easter is I vividly remember grandma sitting outside in the sunshine, smiling brighter than day. Thinking of her makes it easier for me to find the tiny beautiful things around me, but it's especially easy around this time of year.
Happy Easter everybody.
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