Letting Go

For those that really, really know me, you know we don't "celebrate" Easter as a religious holiday. If you want to know more, feel free to ask me (but only if you can remove emotion from the conversation -- otherwise, don't bother. People need to learn to remove emotion from topics of politics, sex and religious and then maybe they could actually HEAR what others have to say, but I digress...)

For the first time in 21 years, I'm letting go.

I'm done.

The part of Easter my family and I do is about bunnies and candy and blah blah blah. It was great when the kids were little -- we'd all go to my aunts' or my parents and my cousins would be there with their kids -- I have some really neat photos. And it was okay the last couple of years in our new life with Rick -- he got to see what we've always done and hide eggs and eat candy and stuff with us. In fact, our first Easter together we were at Rick's house and we went to the park to hide eggs and fly kites. The kites were FUN. As I let go of the other things, I may pick up on the afternoon of kite-flying.

But we've done it. For TWENTY-ONE Easters, I've stuffed baskets and a gazillion plastic eggs. I've dyed and glittered and white-crayon'ed and had stained fingers and 12 cups to wash when the mess was over and eggs deviled to the point of gagging. But ya know, my "little ones" will be 11 and 12. I think it's time to let it go and get some rest from this until grandkids start (please oh PLEASE no time soon, thankyouverymuch!)

I did get a few pieces of candy for our dinner on Sunday night -- just a regular dinner, all of us together before another hectic week starts. And it feels a little weird. By this time, I'd have the eggs out and stuffing 150 of them while snacking on the candy and getting irritated at those high maintenance eggs that just never seem to want to stay closed.

And ya know, it's a little sad. But at the same time, it's very freeing. My time and energy and our money we'd spend on things we don't even need -- those are worth so much more.

Have you ever let go of a tradition you've done for decades?

I hope you have a great weekend with your loved ones. Go out and make a memory -- it may not mean a lot to you, but you never know what memory you're part of making for someone else. I'm off to buy some kites! In the mean time, enjoy a little peep show!