I thought about skipping my column today, considering it’s Easter Sunday, a day that Christians celebrate in their Sunday best, remembering the death of Jesus and rejoicing in his resurrection.
Easter has also become a cultural holiday. Many families will be waking up this morning, with children excitedly bounding into their rooms to announce that the Easter Bunny hopped by in the night, leaving some delicious morsels along the way.
I find myself with a bit of a dilemma; what do I write about on Easter Sunday? It hardly makes sense to ignore the day and write as if it’s any other Sunday.
For me, Easter is important and spiritual, and although our children will certainly be enjoying chocolate and tales of the Easter Bunny, our day will be focused on rejoicing, with shouts proclaiming, “He has Risen!”
I think most of us can agree that this particular season brings us a much needed dose of joy and a feeling of lightness in our spirits. The spring season indicates rebirth, renewed hope, and a rejuvenation of our energy and zeal, regardless of our beliefs.
I find a lot of metaphors in the season of spring. The ice begins to melt, and the cold slowly dwindles. The air grows warmer, and we enjoy rainy, damp days that signal brighter days are ahead.
It’s a soul refreshing experience to truly open your eyes and take in the changes from winter to spring.
When you take note of the little details, you’ll notice the awakening of spring buds on trees and flowers, and an extra cheery song in the air as birds return and build their nests.
Some of us will grab bags of bird seed or fresh lettuce (never bread), to take as a welcome home offering to the ducks. On a warm spring evening if you sit outside on your porch you’ll be delighted to hear the sound of spring peepers; tiny frogs that love wet patches and will delight you with their chorus sound.
Take a deep breath, savouring that delicious spring scent that is impossible to bottle; wet dewy grass coming back to life, plant-sustaining soil, and fresh rain will fill your lungs. Breathe deeply that lush spring smell, and savour its sweet promises of long summer days ahead.
If there is something we can all appreciate today, it is that spring is an incredible metaphor of death and rebirth. We have all experienced it through the change-over of the seasons, and I believe we have all experienced it within ourselves too.
There are always seasons in our lives that are dark, cold, and icy. These days feel dangerous and never-ending, and the purpose sometimes is unclear. But life, like the annual seasons, has a way of progressing, offering new hope and light. We experience our own spring, and our own rebirth. Slowly the ice melts away and brings brighter days.
I hope today is a bright day for us all. I hope we can cherish the little signals that nature (or God) gives us, to remind us that dreary days don’t last forever. A new day has dawned, let us rejoice!
