The Easter Story and Crazy Bunnies

So I am a creature of ritual. I am very comfortable in routine, organization, and things staying the same year after year. I know down deep that change is good and when it has to happen I go through the stages of grief, but ultimately end up embracing it.

William is also a creature of ritual and routine also. When he first moved in he was obsessed with routine and doing the same thing. This was a matter of personality, but more so due to the chaos that had been his life. He was craving stability. Craving routine. The first night he took a shower at our house our cat, Celie, sat in the bathroom and watched him. After that he wanted her in their with him every night. For the first year, we played a board game before bed each night. If we didn't have time it really upset him. Some of this need for routine has diminished, but I think William will ultimately be a lot like me in his need for ritual. Still to this day, when he spends the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house he gets up in the morning and takes his breakfast (a banana and/or a bag of cheerios) and he goes for a walk around the lake in their backyard. And if my niece Maya is there, then he has to push her around the lake in a stroller while eating breakfast. (Keep in mind that Maya is now 5 years old). Of course she loves this and my mom reports that they both enjoy this routine.

So yes, this child is a perfect fit with me and my need for ritual. And speaking of ritual...holidays in my family are a huge source of ritual for me. When things change around the holiday events it really is difficult for me. For Easter we have been going to my Aunt Jackie's for years and years. We hang out, have a big family prayer, eat lots of food, and then the Easter Bunny hides eggs and candy in the yard for the kids to find. Our very own Easter Egg hunt.


The characters change. The kids grow up and new kids take their place. It really does seem like yesterday that I was out hunting eggs in Jackie and Walt's backyard. Of course then there was a generation after me consisting of my cousin's kids... Danny, Kevin, Nathan, Haley, Nick, and Jaclyn. Followed by the current generation of my nieces and nephews, as well as William. I love watching them hunt eggs with the same enthusiasm that we used to have. And I love seeing the kids in their Easter outfits.

Of course as we grow up we don't disappear. We just become adults (I still fight against this though...there will always be a little bit of Peter Pan inside of me). I caught the following two pictures and they just make me smile. It's my cousin's kids along with Aaron and Lori. The look like they are posing for a photo shoot or something. And yes we were playing kickball. See none of us really grow up!

And Easter wouldn't be complete without me and my little brother taking pictures of each other at the same time.

As well as the prayer of thanks before eating...

At some point this holiday will evolve again, and I'll struggle to accept it. But as long as my family is there and certain traditions continue over the generations, the place doesn't matter as much as the people. Cause love is love and it is exists forever.

Happy Easter!