Easter

Easter holds some fond memories for me. From attending sunrise services as a family to working in the barn when baby cows were being born. This Easter was a new experience for me. It is interesting how life changes as you grow older. When I was a child I couldn't imagine an Easter passing when my mother wasn't dragging us kids out of bed before dawn to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It has since happened and I kind of miss stumbling around the house in the dark with Gospel music playing (my parent's favorite genre), trying to dress warmly in my Easter best to stand on a hilltop with my entire family as the sun rose. It sounds picturesque now but as a 12 year old I couldn't have imagined at the time how much I would miss those moments 18 years later.

We are now making new kinds memories as my parents raft of little children have now become a raft of grown children and even have children of their own.

This past Easter actually turned out to be really different and pretty incredible as far as memory making goes. 

Three of my siblings and two of my nieces and I all got up before the sun and had breakfast around the table. (There was no Gospel music as others in the house opted not to attend the "sunrise service" and were still sleeping.) We ate a quick breakfast and then got our ski gear together and headed to the mountain where we rode the chair to the top. At this time the sun had well risen but it was still early. 

We congregated with other people outside the lodge where it started to snow some incredibly big flakes and the wind picked up. The Easter service is usually held outside from what I understand and they decided to move inside the lodge for the service. The place ended up being packed as we gathered to worship the  Risen Lord and listen to a sermon.

 I was really tired and didn't pay attention as much as I would have liked but it was a really touching experience. There we all sat in our snow pants and ski or snowboard boots, beautiful snow flakes coming down outside as I was surrounded by half my family and we united in spirit with other ski and snowboard enthusiasts to worship our Creator. Following the service we skied down, had breakfast at the base lodge and spent the rest of the day ripping the slopes. Other members of the family who needed to get their beauty sleep joined us after breakfast. I paused several times throughout the day to just take in the essence of what the experience meant to me. It was very different from the Easters past. Yet, it was still an incredibly memory I will cherish. The early pre-sunrise wake-up call, worshiping together, skiing fresh pow (short for powder) on Easter with those I love and hold dear...I don't think words can do justice to the emotion it evoked for me.

Later that afternoon after last chair had been ridden we returned home. My parents (the founders of the gaggle of people) joined us for dinner that evening and we all had cake and celebrated a birthday in the house. The whole day was pretty much perfect except for the absence of two siblings who were unable to join the festivities. 

I know we say in this American culture that family is everything but how many times do we actually mean it? How many times do we actually appreciate our family members for exactly who they are this very moment? How many times do we just bask in the wonderfulness that is being together? Now I'm blessed with an extra-ordinarily AWESOME family. Not everyone has that luxury. But with my amazingly excellent family it is still a struggle at times to love them and let things go, but I can speak from experience that it is so worth it. It is definitely worth getting over every argument I've ever had, any time I've ever been wronged, any time something hurtful was said and they have done the same for me. Contrary to popular belief I am not perfect. Shocker, I know.

So let me encourage you to enjoy this moment you have with whomever you are with. It is worth working through those moments when you would rather make funeral arrangements than give in but when you have a holiday like I just had when all of your favorite people you happen to be related to are willing and able to spend it with you it is a magical moment you will cherish forever...even when venue and age and style of the participants changes and brings new adventures and memories.