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Mom's Eye View
All Things New
For those of us with children, the seasonal rainbow also includes the kaleidoscope of colorful implements of the Easter celebration — pastel-dyed eggs, jellybeans that shine like sugary gemstones, chocolate bunnies with blue eyes and pink ears and white tails. Our homes are decorated with chicks and rabbits and robins, all proclaiming the beauty and vibrancy of spring while giving witness to the glory of Christ’s triumph over death. As a mom, my favorite part of our yearly celebrations with the kids was the Easter egg hunt. When Roman, Abby and Charlie were little, their dad and I would sneak out early Sunday morning before the kids had awakened and stash little plastic eggs filled with candies and maybe a coin or two all over the back yard. After returning from Easter Mass, the kids would rush outside with their baskets and gather up as many as they could find then gleefully open each egg to see what treasures were nestled within. Then we would all go inside for pancakes and bacon and our annual viewing of It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. As the children got older, the family routine changed. Instead of sunrise Mass we began attending the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening. The kids’ ‘Easter treat’ was sleeping in on Sunday, then being allowed to gorge themselves on a ‘brunch’ of peanut butter cups and malt ball eggs when they finally got out of bed. I was sad to see the end of the Easter egg hunts, but at least the kids still humored me by watching the Peanuts’ special together as a family. This year, all three of my ‘little ones’ are now teenagers, and the family is going through yet another transformation. We’re embarking on an Easter egg hunt again, but this one is quite different from the scrambles for candy and coins that took place in years past. Instead of searching the yard for plastic eggs, this year the kids emptied their piggy banks and hit the grocery store to seek out treats for a “basket drive’ sponsored by their school. Along with their fellow students, my guys will be filling Easter baskets for underprivileged children and presenting them after a special prayer service during Holy Week. As in years gone by, my children come to me, giddy and giggly, to show me their Easter treasures — but this time their excitement is about how happy they are to share the celebration of this blessed day with those less fortunate than themselves. And along with the goodies, they’re also passing on a measure of their own unique bliss to the recipients of their Easter surprises. “I’m putting tons of chocolate in the basket I’m making,” Abby proclaimed. “And a stuffed rabbit, too!” Charlie opted for a ‘boy’s toys’ themed basket with metal cars and action figures alongside the traditional jellybeans and candy eggs. “It looks good,” he said as he examined it carefully, “but I think its still needs something. Maybe some stickers — or fake bugs.” “Guess who put this one together,” Roman grinned as he held up a basket filled entirely with candies and toys in his favorite color, orange. “I hope whoever gets it likes orange!” In the process, I’m discovering a whole new — and entirely unexpected — joy that comes from watching these events play out as we approach the holiest day of the year. My little egg-seeking toddlers are developing into generous young adults who truly understand the message of Easter. Jesus really does make ‘all things new,’ and even improves on them in the process. |
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Copyright 2012 Miles Jesu. All rights reserved. | |
It’s no coincidence that Easter comes in the early days of spring, when gray skies and brown landscapes are suddenly replaced by a dazzling display of vibrant color. This is the season for new life and renewed hope — when the icy heart of winter melts away in the warm sunshine. Sprouting leaves, blossoming flowers, scurrying critters all attest to a fresh beginning across the land. They’re the echo of Christ’s resurrection that revived a dead world and delivered on the promise of eternal springtime.