EASTER WAS A BUMMER

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Holidays like Easter can trigger unhappy emotions long repressed.
When I was about five or six years old, I went on a neighborhood Easter egg hunt
with my older brother and sister. They found lots of candy eggs in a big field,
and so it seemed did every other kid, but I found nothing. I was near to tears
afterward and my mother made my brother and sister give me some of the candy they found.
I was glad to have some of their candy, but remember feeling like I was the only kid in
the world who hadn't found any candy on my own. Funny how it's almost 80 years since
that Easter, but I still remember it.

I hope your Easter is joyful, even if you may have some unhappy memories about it.
Same with Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve. For some people,
they can be a bummer. Now at Easter I turn my thoughts onto the joyful ones, like
getting a new suit when I was a boy and going to Easter Sunday morning Mass with
my parents and siblings, then a big Easter ham dinner with family afterwards.

And being able to eat candy again after giving it up for 40 days and nights for Lent.

Happy Easter, everyone!

 

[PamD]

I relate to the holidays being a time that can trigger unhappy emotions. Each year I still find it difficult and each year I resolve to approach it differently. I am very much still a work in progress. I remember once, when I was little, we went to an egg hunt. I had my special Easter dress on and pretty white shoes. My mom was in the hospital but we tried to "celebrate" anyway. All I remember really is a bully girl pushed me into a bush of thorns to get to an egg before me. I was stuck in the bush for a long while before I broke free. I got in trouble for ruining my outfit. I still wear Easter dresses, it is a part of me and my celebration of spring. A few years ago I had Easter at my farm and I rode my horses and fed them while wearing my dress. I didn't care if it got dirty. I had fun!

I have a love/grief relationship with Easter it is the only holiday I like but it seems to bring up the losses I have too. I love spring so I like to celebrate that. I love to host Easter parties. I have a story I find funny, but others might find it terrible...One particularly difficult emotional year I hosted Easter for my family and a few friends. For the egg hunt I began to fill plastic eggs with money and candy per usual, but some mood overtook me and I filled a few of them with things like cheese wiz, chocolate mousse, crabcakes, vegi dip, we called these the dud eggs. The kids did not find the same humor in it as I did, Of course they were not drinking mimosas. I hope I didnt wound them.

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, Pam. Thanks for sharing your Easter stories, some happy, some sad, some funny.
I do love Easter. It's a time to celebrate spring and, for Catholics and other Christians,
to be joyful for its religious significance.

Happy Easter everyone!

 

[cishealing]

Walt, I have an Easter story just like yours! I've always had rotten eyesight, and one Easter all the other kids saw and scooped up the eggs before me and I had nothing. My parents made my sister share her eggs. Ah, mercy eggs.

I'll make sure to eat an extra chocolate egg this Easter, for little Cee.

Cee

 

[lexylucy]

I grew up with a Jewish mother so we celebrated Passover. I was always a little afraid of the women in my family because they could fly into a rage or a drama. There were also all these strange dynamics around food. And family. But I loved the holidays. Being at my big aunt Dianne's house with a giant turkey, and matzo ball soup, and sweet potato pie. Delicious. I loved my cousin's and we would play and have great fun. And try to find the ahfi-coman. (our version of an egg which is a piece of cracker folded up in a napkin with money). I always loved all of the music and rituals. It was fascinating.

But I always forget about Easter and the birth of Spring so it's nice to be reminded.

My father is Christian and when I visit him my stepmom is always painting eggs with these beautiful pink yellow green and purple colors. And there is always chocolate And presents. I think I'll celebrate Easter this year instead and go see a beautiful gospel choir.