Hugs, High-Fives, and Happy Easter
Flashback to April 4 years ago.
4 years! In some ways that seems like a lifetime ago, in others, the blink of an eye.
It was April 12, 2020 and strict lockdown measures were in place. An Easter Sunday that we will never forget. An Easter Sunday that we never imagined. An Easter Sunday filled with new and very different memories. An Easter Sunday allowing us to embrace and BE in the moment.
I distinctly remember the weather was perfect. The quiet was encompassing. People were outside walking, running, biking, playing basketball. There was a peace and joy in the disruption of “normal” life.
It was also an Easter Sunday that came with uncertainty. Do you remember? Or maybe you have tried to forget. Easter church services all online. How long would this go on? Uncertainty is scary. Is this where resilience and faith step in? So many questions…
That Sunday, and many to follow, public events like Easter egg hunts and parades were canceled or modified to comply with social distancing regulations. There were no large gatherings in parks or brunches at Grandma’s house. Some neighborhoods organized “socially distant” egg hunts, where families could search for eggs while maintaining a “safe” distance. Others got quite creative and opted for virtual egg hunts; clues were posted online, and participants had to find hidden eggs in their homes or neighborhoods.
Do you remember? What was the lesson in it all? Is this where resilience and faith step in?
I relished the time with my family and shared in a blog post on that Easter Sunday, “The sense of peace, love, and grace that consumes our house is tangible today. The day started for me with Maya (our dog) and a 5-mile run, followed by church streamed online as we all gathered in the kitchen, Easter baskets, an indoor egg hunt, brunch, and painting.” My kitchen converted into an art studio during that time. It brought out a creativity in all of us that we would have otherwise never uncovered.
Easter church service in my kitchen? I remember quietly and uncontrollably crying through church as my heart ached to be with the rest of my family and friends as our Easter traditions had always provided. Longing for the past, uncertain about the future. Is this where resilience and faith step in?
While I cherished the time with my family, the peace, and the slowdown, my blog post continued, “My heart is full, as I hope yours is today as well…but I cannot wait for days ahead for those hugs and high-fives.”
This year, if you celebrate Easter or not, relish in the hugs and high fives. This is resilience and faith.