The Number Field

Easter weekend brought us the first truly warm days of the year, and just in time, because we had big plans. Saturday morning started with an egg hunt, after which we took cousin Sam on a mini-golf outing. After lunch we enjoyed a private egg hunt at home, laid out carefully by the grandparents. Elena quickly became an expert egg finder, but with some help Roman managed to snag a few of his own before she got to them. A careful post-hunt count revealed that there may still be one undiscovered egg. Maybe it will take root and grow into a chocolate egg tree.

In the evening we hosted a cookout for our friends--mostly people Jenny's known since high school. We were especially thankful for the not-too-cool evening and large backyard, because the kids all had energy to burn. They claimed the gazebo so the adults were able to enjoy dinner and conversation near the picnic tables. People complimented me for managing the grill, but Jenny deserves all the credit because she planned and prepared the whole event with almost no assistance from me.

Our Easter Sunday, by comparison, was quiet and contemplative. We went to church in the morning, took naps in the afternoon, had Easter dinner with family in the rarely-used formal dining room, and made our usual Sunday evening visit to the cousins. Jenny commented on how nice it was to separate the commercial and secular aspects from the spiritual and religious aspects of the holiday.

Jenny makes a good point, in particular because we are still establishing traditions for Elena and Roman to grow into. For now they don't have the capacity to focus on candy, Jesus, or anything else for very long. In establishing Easter traditions and following them year after year, I hope that we will be able to feel the strength of the traditions in reverse by always capturing the child-like joy that I saw in Elena and Roman this year. Among all Christ's teachings, I am struck by His exhortation for all of us to become as little children. I observe my little children on a regular basis, and I know that they enjoy simple pleasures like hide and seek and special sweet treats. That's why I don't see anything sinister or harmful in Easter egg hunts and a surplus of candy, even on Easter Sunday.