I've never been that fond of Easter, and I just figured it out this year why not. A lot of people talk at Christmas time about 'remembering the reason for the season' and talking about how 'commercialized it is'. Although I agree with all that, I still love everything about Christmas. Even the non religion stuff. The smell of real Christmas trees, the songs, the way every store, home, and street corner seems to transform. I love how everyone seems a shade nicer and more compassionate just because 'of the season'. I actually love all the commercialism in Christmas too. So the irony wasn't lost on me when I had the self discovery of what I didn't like about Easter. I do not like the commercialism of Easter.
My brothers liked to tease me when I was little about, 'Michelle's world.' When I remembered something differently then they did or viewed something differently; they would claim that I was in 'Michelle world'.
The more I thought about this, I tried to justify my hypocritical holiday biases. I realized that I make everything about Christmas fit my views. When someone decorates for Christmas, I feel like they are celebrating the birth of the Savior. Even if they don't know it. Every strand of garland, every light bulb, and yes, even every Santa is just part of a big birthday party. So if people are turning the season into gifts and presents and getting the best deals on black Friday...that's ok. The reason they do all that is because it is the season of 'giving'. And when you get right down to it, it's called that because of what we were given. So like it or not, in 'Michelle world' you are celebrating the birth of Christ;
even if you don't know it.
For some reason I can't warp my world around Easter. I can't connect an egg laying bunny to the Savior sacrificing himself for us. So I cave, and Easter has just been about eggs, baskets and jelly beans. I realize now that it is something I have to change. We have our traditions that make Christmas about the Savior. We have songs about his birth, a tradition of going to Tuachan's live nativity, the white stocking gift to Jesus first thing Christmas morning. Our December is filled with activities and traditions that direct us.
Our family does not have any Easter traditions that tie into the Savior.
We ask the Easter bunny to bring Jelly beans, because that is what the bunny brought Dave when he was little. Grandma Holly will always have one large egg for each kid with a special surprise in it. Dave's brother Bill will always be way more into the egg hunt then his kids. We will get a Honey Baked ham which Zachary will refuse to eat on moral grounds. These are all fun traditions I plan to keep. I am a BIG fan of traditions. But I'm looking for something more. I need to find some Easter traditions that work in 'Michelle world.'
With that all ranted out,
we had a fun with our Pagan holiday.
Dave is trying to convince Oliver he wanted to keep the misshapen 'ball' he found on the ground.
Little cousins. James (in the middle) is a sweet little boy and Kate (the princess in pink) is so adorable. Perhaps that is the problem with Easter.
I have no girls to wear a new Easter dress!
I love these pictures. This is Dave's brother Chris and his daughter. He hadn't seen her in a few weeks. He had to stay behind in Washington for work when his family came out for vacation. Chris is defiantly the cool kid of the family. He is Secret Service at the White House. His job that kept him home was going to Turkey with the President. That makes my business trips to Laughlin look a little sad huh? So in these pictures, Chris just got in and his daughter Kate was talking his ear off about something. I thought it was a pretty sweet moment.
This is my littlest nephew Carter and the first time I met him. He is a little snuggler.
Aunt ju-ju (Daves sister Julie) is just one of the kids.
My brothers liked to tease me when I was little about, 'Michelle's world.' When I remembered something differently then they did or viewed something differently; they would claim that I was in 'Michelle world'.
The more I thought about this, I tried to justify my hypocritical holiday biases. I realized that I make everything about Christmas fit my views. When someone decorates for Christmas, I feel like they are celebrating the birth of the Savior. Even if they don't know it. Every strand of garland, every light bulb, and yes, even every Santa is just part of a big birthday party. So if people are turning the season into gifts and presents and getting the best deals on black Friday...that's ok. The reason they do all that is because it is the season of 'giving'. And when you get right down to it, it's called that because of what we were given. So like it or not, in 'Michelle world' you are celebrating the birth of Christ;
even if you don't know it.
For some reason I can't warp my world around Easter. I can't connect an egg laying bunny to the Savior sacrificing himself for us. So I cave, and Easter has just been about eggs, baskets and jelly beans. I realize now that it is something I have to change. We have our traditions that make Christmas about the Savior. We have songs about his birth, a tradition of going to Tuachan's live nativity, the white stocking gift to Jesus first thing Christmas morning. Our December is filled with activities and traditions that direct us.
Our family does not have any Easter traditions that tie into the Savior.
We ask the Easter bunny to bring Jelly beans, because that is what the bunny brought Dave when he was little. Grandma Holly will always have one large egg for each kid with a special surprise in it. Dave's brother Bill will always be way more into the egg hunt then his kids. We will get a Honey Baked ham which Zachary will refuse to eat on moral grounds. These are all fun traditions I plan to keep. I am a BIG fan of traditions. But I'm looking for something more. I need to find some Easter traditions that work in 'Michelle world.'
With that all ranted out,
we had a fun with our Pagan holiday.
Dave is trying to convince Oliver he wanted to keep the misshapen 'ball' he found on the ground.
Little cousins. James (in the middle) is a sweet little boy and Kate (the princess in pink) is so adorable. Perhaps that is the problem with Easter.
I have no girls to wear a new Easter dress!
I love these pictures. This is Dave's brother Chris and his daughter. He hadn't seen her in a few weeks. He had to stay behind in Washington for work when his family came out for vacation. Chris is defiantly the cool kid of the family. He is Secret Service at the White House. His job that kept him home was going to Turkey with the President. That makes my business trips to Laughlin look a little sad huh? So in these pictures, Chris just got in and his daughter Kate was talking his ear off about something. I thought it was a pretty sweet moment.
This is my littlest nephew Carter and the first time I met him. He is a little snuggler.
Aunt ju-ju (Daves sister Julie) is just one of the kids.
1 comment:
Hey Michelle... I understand your feeling about Easter...I LOVE coloring Easter eggs with my kids and all the egg hunts, etc., but really want my kids to understand the true meaning of Easter. We usually do a FHE about the resurrection right before Easter and this year my sweet mother-in-law made up this really cute egg carton with plastic eggs and in each egg was a scripture that you read (pertaining to the crucifixion and resurrection) and a small object. My kids enjoyed opening the eggs and talking about the object in them, etc....my friend posted all the scriptures on her blog...you can see it at: http://kileychatter.blogspot.com/ I also like to think of the whole spring season and eggs hatching as a new birth which is a symbol of new life like the resurrection. Anyway, good luck.
Mel
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