I went into Easter season bummed this year. My kids will be at their dad's for the holiday. Let's face it, I'm bummed that I don't have my kids for every holiday because I think that when you house someone in your body and then expel them from your vagina after 12+ hours of intense pain you are entitled to more of a say. But other people, mainly the judge and their father, disagree with that logic. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. Easter! So I just assumed Easter would bum me out. But I am surprising myself.
A few weeks ago my son came home asking to participate in his choir director's Easter cantata at her church. He also informed me that she asked if I wanted to sing as well. (Once upon a time she was my choir director too and then there is that funny story where she was mistaken for my mom when I was young....) The Cantata was to be performed on Palm Sunday and I said sure! That's when I decided if I couldn't be with my kids on ACTUAL Easter, we would celebrate early.
*Side note...since my kids are a little bit older "celebrating Easter" has NOTHING to do with bunnies leaving candy and springy dollar store crap..er..toys with plastic grass that sticks to EVERYTHING and I am left cleaning up until Christmas. We believe in Christ and Easter is about his death and resurrection.*
So Saturday night, after attending the local roller derby bout (you can't celebrate Jesus without some roller derby...it's in the bible...I'm certain of it) we watched "The Passion of the Christ." *Gasp* I know...I am a bad mother because I showed my 8 and 9 year old little girls the violence and horror of an R rated movie. But see above.... We had a wonderful time of discussion and it really solidified for my children what Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are really all about to us.
Then Sunday morning the kids put on their new Easter clothes and we went to church for the cantata. It was such a beautiful and fun service. Zaia even walked in waving a palm frond with a HUGE smile on her face.
We will spend Good Friday off work and school and I am looking forward to the laziness that I have planned for that day.
I guess my point is this....spending quality time with your children isn't about what the calendar says. It isn't about how many holiDAYS I get with my kids. It isn't about how much money I spend on them (which is good because I don't spend much...at all.). It is about being present. It's about listening and caring and laughing and making fun of each other and snorting and almost peeing your pants and loving. LOVING, LOVING, LOVING on them.
.......Just like Jesus did.......
