Skyler didn’t get to go Easter-egg hunting this year. Part of me feels a bit guilty about it since it could’ve been fun for all of us and started a fun tradition, but another part of me just doesn’t really care.
My family never made a big deal out of Easter. I should rephrase: my family never made a big deal out of the Easter Bunny. We did make a big deal out of what Easter truly represents. I guess I should also apologize to Santa – we never wrote him letters or left him milk & cookies by the fireplace. We never believed in him. I never had that dash of hopes as a child when someone mentioned that Santa wasn’t real. It was always Jesus’ birthday, and though we did all the other traditional customs like decorating the tree and exchanging gifts, Santa was just never invited.
Some people that have heard this have felt sorry for me that as a child I didn’t get to experience any of these fun childhood traditions. But I don’t feel sorry or hold anything against my parents. I guess I just don’t know what I was missing. Despite the absence of Santa or the Easter Bunny, I cherish my holiday memories with my family. And I have the utmost admiration for my parents in their faithfulness to not let us get caught up in the commercial hubbub and to maintain the observance of what these holidays are about.
Everyone has their own family traditions for holidays; some are dreaded and some are remembered fondly. I hope and pray that Ronnie and I will be able to establish joyful and memorable holidays for Skyler, but that she’ll also know and be reverent of the true meaning behind them.