Happy Easter!

Easter 2021; or as I like to call it, Easter 2020.2. Another Easter celebrated at home, but pretty opposite in almost every way from how I felt emotionally last year around Easter.

Last year we hunkered down at home, fearful and adjusting to the new "normal" of life at home. It was blustery cold, but we celebrated as best we could with three kids and an ever-present level of paranoia -- there was so much unknown at the time. At the same time it was heartening to feel like everyone in the world was experiencing the same thing -- I will never forget Pope Francis's Eucharistic exposition to the rainy, dark, empty courtyard at the end of March. There are few times in my life I've felt more connected to the universal Church than that moment.

This year we watched Mass at home again, but it's one of our last ones -- both David and I have our second doses of vaccines this week (#PfizerGang), so after a week to build our immunity we'll be back at Mass! And gathering with family! And going to restaurants, maybe, even? Getting haircuts? Shopping at estate sales and golfing (guess who wants to do which one...haha)? The hope is palpable. Combined with the unseasonably warm weather we've been having (it was 85 on Easter yesterday) and it feels like a different reality than last year. 

A year of isolation with a medically-vulnerable spouse has not left us unscarred. Tempers have been lost more than normal, screen time has increased, takeout has been eaten more than is probably advised. Not to mention the fact that we lost two family members in the last year (one to covid, one to dementia). But there have been Zoom "parties," walks outside, and a lot of fun throughout it all. I wonder how we'll look back on this time. As a long emptiness? In fondness? Through the lens of trauma? It's all still to be discovered.

For now, I am grateful we survived, even if it didn't feel like we thrived. And I'm beyond ecstatic to celebrate the HELL OUT of this Easter season (see what I did there?). ;) 

Happy Easter to you and yours! Alleluia!

HG