Let's get real - the Easter bunny?
Even though there are more colder days of weather in store for us in the coming weeks, we can’t help but anticipate spring and summer. This past week’s warmer days have given us a taste of what’s to come and we can’t wait!
Before we know it, Easter will be here and we’ll all enjoy the true beginnings of Spring.
As I thought about Easter and what it’s all about today, I remembered so many of the holiday traditions that surround us. Coloring and hiding eggs, filling baskets with plastic grass and chocolate candy, and gathering with family to feast on way too much food. And then the idea of the “Easter bunny” caught my attention.
Now, let’s get real.
The Easter bunny scares me.
How can anyone believe that there is a bunny who hops around with baskets filled with lots of chocolates for children around the world. Santa is one thing — but the Easter bunny? How in the world did such a tradition catch hold in our society?
Easter is a religious remembrance no matter how you look at it. Yet, we have bunnies frolicking through the grass and entertaining children. We even take our kids and grandkids to visit the Easter bunny at the mall — a giant rabbit — how frightening!
We introduce our children to this tradition at a young age and we all enjoy the fun that comes with preparing for Easter and yes — that often means visiting the Easter bunny. I shared stories of the giant bunny with my children and I still do it with my grandchildren.
But the absurdity of an enormous rabbit hopping around the globe filling Easter baskets with candy is about as far-fetched as it gets. And yet, we promote it.
Life is full of absurdities that help us enjoy life. Whether they’re traditions celebrated by the world, or ones we create within our own families, traditions are a way to keep ideas and activities alive across the generations. Many are real and others are make-believe. I love them all too — even the Easter bunny.
But I also remember that the Easter holiday is a time to reflect on more than colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, and marshmallow peeps. It’s a time to reflect on life, living and the beauty that surrounds us. It’s a time to remember that we are all here for a purpose and that purpose is to love and do good for others in some way — every day. It’s a time to celebrate life and to be thankful for all we have.
I will definitely take time to celebrate life and new beginnings this Easter as we prepare for my youngest daughter’s wedding on April 30. I will reflect on all the blessings of my life and remember that new beginnings are a gift.
And I’ll also gather the grandchildren to color the eggs as I carefully place the pink and yellow plastic grass in their Easter baskets — as we anticipate a visit from the Easter bunny.
