Easter

I didn’t walk into a church today. The sun rose and I wasn’t scrambling to make it to a service in a new outfit with bleary eyes having stayed up all night to get everything ready. My kids didn’t have smiles pasted on because I made sure they knew the consequences of looking anything other than glorious this morning. We didn’t brunch between services or have an elaborate Easter dinner planned. For the first year in my entire adult life this holiday was low pressure, simple, and real.

I worshiped in quiet conversation as the sun brightened the sky. Then we ate and laughed as we planned out the day. Part of our crew will be able to gather this evening with the community of faith that has non-judgmentally welcomed any of us who can be present whenever we are able to be there. The rest of us will stay on schedule and rest. Tomorrow, we’ll continue living into the resurrection as we celebrate a traditionally milestone birthday for our oldest. (Pictures will come from that time because today is wonderfully rainy and cool and we don’t want to go pretend it’s not.)

None of this is what I would have thought life would be if you asked me five years ago. But it is so, so good. Life keeps moving because we are alive.

We laugh.
We cry.
We’ll live and die.
All in the name of Love.

And so, today, in a way that honors the weight of it all, I celebrate the One who lived and died and lives again.

If today is different for you, know you’re not alone. Many of us are grieving and celebrating at the same time.

Know you are enough…
Know you are loved…
Just as you are.

💜💜💜