Happy Spring

Some of us are celebrating Easter this weekend, and even though we have no little ones to hunt for eggs or hidden Easter Baskets, my husband and I have gotten into the spirit of the season. I dug out a basket and he shopped for some goodies to put in it. Then I decided to make a pineapple upside-down cake.

And since we don't have any other adults around us to tell us we couldn't, we decided to eat some of the cake yesterday - Friday - even though the cake was supposed to be for Easter Sunday.

Today has felt like a holiday, too. We went out to breakfast, as we can't do that on Sunday because of church duties. Met some friends in town and had a nice visit with them.

I know lots of people join us in this Easter celebration, but I also know that some of the people who may wander by this blog do not. Jews are celebrating Passover this weekend, and it is not a coincidence that it happens the same time as Easter. After all, Jesus was a Jew.

There are people of many other faiths who don't celebrate either Easter or Passover, but almost all religions have some kind of observance to mark the beginning of new life in the spring. And it is such an exciting time for us all as we watch the earth come back to life after the desolation of winter.

Sometimes it feels like we come back to life, too. And maybe we do.

Merry Christmas

I know the politically correct thing to say at this time is Happy Holidays, lest we offend someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, but I feel like being a rebel today. Besides that, I don't get the least bit offended when someone says Happy Hanukka or Happy Kwanzaa.

Those wishes mean something special to the folks who celebrate those holidays, the same way Merry Christmas means something special to me, and it doesn't take anything away from me for people to express their good wishes the way they want to.

If we all spent more time living up to the inherent meaning in all these holidays and expressions of good will, there could be no offense taken at how people express them. There wouldn't be a "we" and "them" mentality that makes us more protective of our rights.

So my hope for all of us is to have a season of peace and a sense of inclusion instead of exclusion.