How do you celebrate Easter?
by Linda ~ March 19th, 2008
The Christian meaning of Easter of course is the resurrection of Jesus Christ symbolizing eternal life for all who believe in him. I was raised Catholic (not practicing for many years now) and although that was certainly what we were taught and why we went to church on Easter Sunday I must say that for me it was all about the Easter dress, as shallow as that may seem.
For many years. the ritual of shopping with my mother for my Easter dress was something I looked forward to starting right after Valentine’s Day. One year, my Mother was visiting my Grandmother in Denver so my Dad filled in for this Easter ritual. I still remember the dress — it was mint green organza. My tall, big shouldered daddy, dressed in his Air Force blues sat on a tiny wrought iron chair in a tiny dress shop filling up the room with his commanding presence, while I modeled dress after dress. It’s a memory that I hold very dear because it was the only time my Dad took me shopping.
Of course, Easter is filled with other rituals such as dyeing Easter Eggs, Easter egg hunt, easter dinner, easter bonnet. Easter is about spring, tulips, daffodils and resurrecting your spirit from, in some geographical locations, a long and cold winter.
Eternal life may escape us but reinventing who we are, or in the Easter vernacular, resurrecting the you you always wanted to be, is always a possibility. How many times have you re-invented yourself? It might be different careers or perhaps a divorce and re-marriage. It might be a move to a different city or even a country. Possibly years of therapy supported you in making critical changes in your life so you could live a different, more joyful life.
I have reinvented myself at least five times in my lifetime. My core values remain the same but I have changed careers, homes, married and then not married. I have given up bad habits. I have learned enlightening ways to resolve conflict within myself and others. I have learned how to overcome fear and take a leap of faith.
The most difficult reinvention was after I lost my son Andrew in a car crash in 1997. I have heard people say that loosing a parent is like loosing a limb but loosing a child is like loosing a lung. I remember how difficult it was to breathe. For months, maybe even years, I just couldn’t seem to take a deep breath. Now when I take a deep breath I focus on my core. And that core has Andrew’s essence. I always go back to Andrew and the truth of that relationship. It is the only thing that sustains me. It is by far, the most imporant, life-changing, life-sustaining relationship of my life. Through Andrew I experienced profound joy, unconditional love, a sense of “right” and the deepest soul wrenching sorrow imaginable.
So how did I take a post about Easter and turn it into one about relationships? Pretty slick, huh? Enjoy and honor your relationships this Easter. You cannot dye eggs, hunt for easter eggs, wear your new Easter dress or eat dinner alone. What’s the point? Celebrating Easter with the people you love and care about gives you reason to celebrate.
Linda Ann Smith
Author, Speaker, Ritual Expert
Power of Rituals for Women