Happy Easter as time Marches on!

Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection. ~Watchman Nee

Today was Easter. I have always loved Easter. When I was a child I loved the candy and the pretty new dresses and the New shoes. We knew the meaning of Easter. But we were Kids. We loved the other things that were part of the celebrations.We would hide Dozens and Dozens of eggs when we were children and then count the found ones over and over till we found them all. Daddy and Mama would take turns hiding them and then Us kids would run like wild thing to try and find them all. Daddy would give a dollar to who ever found the prize egg and we all wanted that dollar. I was one of the smaller ones of eight kids so I didn't Manage to get the dollar very Often. Both of our Grandma's would come home with us after Church on Easter. It was an all afternoon event. We would have so much fun together. But time marches on.

When We were grown and all of us had children of our own we would gather at Mama and Daddy's House and they would have Plastic eggs all filled with candy and always a Easter gift for every Grandchild. My Brothers would hide the eggs and our own children would run wild everywhere till all the eggs were found. My brother Frank was always the best hider. He would always pick out a very small child and walk around with them sometimes giving a nudge or a whisper when they were close to an egg. I once told Frank that he was cheating. He laughed and said He wasn't cheating he was assisting. Frank has one Grandchild now. Everyone knows when they see them that she is the apple of his eye. I hope they hid eggs together today. I hope they made memories. We each have to build our own History. Because Time moves on for all of us.

I was a single Mom of three for a few years. Those years were tough. I would hide eggs and they would find them. My two little monsters running around like crazy while the big monster laughed at them because he already had all the eggs spotted. Anthony would always give a third to each of the other two so that they all had the same amount. He was always a good sport. He didn't care about the eggs. I always gave him the dollar for the prize egg. He was older I figured he needed it. Then I remarried and Had a new Husband and two more children and Easter began to be another holiday that had to split between houses. And
I worried about what history that was bringing to my five children. We always tried to have something special with all of them on holidays and time marched on for us too.

All of my Children are grown now.. All five live somewhere else.I had one Grandson here this week-end with Me. Mason. Dave hid the eggs for Mason. Mason said Grand-daddy hid them too easy so he was going to hide them for us. We did our best not to just bend over and pick them up since they were in plain sight. Pretending we didn't see them. He was very excited that he was a better hider than Grand- daddy. Then came my turn to hide them. I walked around carefully looking for the kind of places we would find them when we were small. The kind of places My Daddy or my Brother Frank Might hide them. I laughed as they ran around looking in all the places they had already hidden them. They managed to stumble over all but four of them. I kept telling them. " I can see them from here." Finally Mason came and stood by me and looked around high and low and spotted one sitting carefully way up on a tree limb. He then spotted the two in the goldfish's waterfall. I laughed as they walked and re-walked all over this yard searching for the one egg. Finally after they had both gave up and were about to go inside I walked over to a tree stump sitting in the middle of a flower bed and next to the stump sitting in a yellow daffodil was the final bright yellow egg. I picked it up and tossed it to Mason. He said I was the very best egg hider this year. And I was happy because even though we don't always see it Mason and the other children are growing up And time still marches on.

Times Change. Families change. Lives Change. Holiday traditions change. My Easter's now are usually spent Just me and Dave here at home. This year for a change we had Mason here. We had fun with him like we haven't had in a while. Our own children Out grew Holidays Early. When children have to split Holidays in two houses that happens. It's no one's Fault It just happens. But We always made holidays special in our house. We dyed eggs even if it would be too late Easter to hide them when they all came home. We could hide them Monday. Fun is important to children. I do remember some times that I was in trouble as a child but Most of all I remember the fun times. So try as often as you can to have fun with a child. Who knows you might even enjoy yourself.. And better yet the child might with a grin and a hug declare you to be the best hider of the day! And Even time can't march faster than good memories. Time can't erase the loving history you build with a child!
Happy Easter!!
Patsy