The First Easter that Greg and I spent together I was 18 and still living with my parents and brothers. We attended a little church called simply “the Church of God” and that Easter I invited him along to the sunrise service. We were dating but I wasn’t sure of anything at that point. Unlike my mom. I didn’t get him an Easter gift but she rolled up three little paper bags into a basket and filled it with cookies and candy. I was embarrassed by her simple gift but he was amazed that our preacher showed up in his bathrobe to pretend to be one of the disciples and first act out the scene of learning of the resurrection. Then the next day mom drove to our college. Found his car and slipped in a key chain with my high school senior portrait in it under a case that read “I love you.” Ugh! She was never subtle and loved drama but stalking my boyfriend for me! ???
Anyway from 1982 until 2024 we never spent an Easter apart. Often joking that we were regular church attendees- regularly going each Easter. Then he took on choir directing at the United Methodist Church when our boys were preschoolers and we actually became regulars for about 12 years. The Sunday school teachers and the pastor became part of our extended family in our chosen hometown.
Each Easter we decorated eggs and hid baskets with various friends and family. Sometimes attending an outdoor service at Trees of Mystery in the Redwoods.
Our boys were both born in Easter season so can sometimes have their birthday on Easter. Our children grew up and carried on the tradition with our grandchildren and I remembered baking sugar cookies and dying a gross of Easter eggs (yes a dozen, dozen) with my own grandmother because she filled small strawberry baskets with cookies and eggs for all the senior center and nursing home residents and the shut ins she knew of.
Anyway. Religious or not the return of spring and flowers and life from the frozen winter in Wyoming was always a resurrection worth celebrating.
Yes, religious or not, I think there is just something about the spring season, and seeing things return to life, after the dark days of winter, that awakens hope in most people. (In spite of the idiots in the world who try to break everything and seem to take joy in making people miserable.)
