One of my favorite traditions involves otherwise sensible grown-ups clawing through the tall grass of my father’s sheep pasture looking for little plastic ovals filled with chocolate eggs and marshmallow chickens. We’ve followed this particular tradition for at least three decades. Before that, Easter Sunday was marked by a picnic somewhere in my great-grandparent’s woods. I think we had a brief lull in the fun back when my siblings and I were too teenage-cool for such things.
We are over that now. In fact, we are so over it that a few years ago both my brothers climbed to the top of a tall tree in search of an egg peeking from the top of a squirrel’s nest. It was sleeting at the time. But, the hunt has two rules: If you find someone else’s egg, you are sworn to silence and cannot tell where it is. Rule Number Two: No one goes to the house until everyone finds their egg.
We were all rooting for that second brother.
My parents have pretty much perfected the art of family traditions, in general. We still hunt the eggs pretty much the same way we did when all of today’s young parents were toddlers. But this year we will hunt on Saturday instead of Sunday so everyone can be in their own church Easter morning.
I know my parents would love to have the whole bunch of us crowding into pews and singing “Up from the Grave He Arose” with them on Resurrection morning. Instead, they will send us each back to our congregations where we will teach Sunday school, lead worship, serve as ushers, welcome guests, and be faithful members of the congregation.
And that is the best part about strong families with great traditions. We multiply.
AMEN! and AMEN!! Aren’t memories and traditions great?!
That’s a good one. And, of course, much easier to agree with on MY side of the tradition.
Since we don’t have irreplaceable roles in our church, we’re going to fill up Jane’s pews Sunday morning. Kenton and Mary will be there too. I love that perspective, though, that we’re all happy and useful and spread out. But it is nice to smoosh back together now and then. Hopefully we’ll hymn-sing today and give Grandma that same feeling.
I know your mom was really looking forward to it. I hope a good time was had by all!
Kathy, Just a note to say I l-o-v-e reading your blog, and I just found Charity’s too and wasn’t surprised that hers too brought a smile to me. I heart all four Nickerson girls!
Sara
Hey Sara,
We heart you right back!!