Tradition - An Ode to Easter

Tradition - everytime I think of the word, I hear the strains of Tevye's voice from "Fiddler on the Roof" in the faint recesses of my mind. Of course, it then causes those pesky memories to surface of my college days when we performed said musical, and I had the devious pleasure of bringing the audience to tears. Then again, that college musical also had the audacity to send me to the hospital emergency room and chuck me on crutches for a few weeks. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

With Easter celebrations now past, I had a few moments to feel nostalgic about family Easter traditions long gone. Now that my son is fifteen, he has no interest in coloring eggs and eating chocolate until he nearly throws-up. No more cute little Easter suits (of which he's glad), baskets with fake grass, egg hunts, cute little bunny-bunnies, etc. I felt sorry for myself and blamed my son for having the audacity to grow up.

Yesterday we were invited to the home of a friend of mine from church. This wonderful young woman and her husband were originally from Canada and recently had the joy of securing their permanant residency here in the good 'ol U.S. of A. There were several other couples at the dinner that we had the pleasure of getting to know, one of which was from Indonesia. During dinner, we discussed some of the Easter traditions and foods they grew up with in their native countries. The conversation was lively, entertaining, and also very enlightening. We even learned more about some of the Jewish feasts still celebrated in various Christian circles as a lead-in to Easter. I was full of questions while my son just soaked it all in.

On the drive home, I realized that we continue to practice some of the same traditions we've always followed on Easter. The bunnies, baskets, and eggs had their place, but now my son can participate in a more active manner. We still attend church Easter morning, celebrate the resurrection of the Savior, practice commununion in remembrance, and have a wonderful dinner gathering with family or friends. But now he has a much better understanding and appreciation of what the day/weekend means, and that is more important than hunting eggs.

But eggs still have a place in the celebration (besides as an appetizer). An egg consists of three parts: yolk, white, and shell. All three individual parts come together to make a whole - an egg. It reminds me of the Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three individual persons come together to form One. It's an interesting analogy that our children just might understand and take with them from childhood into a more mature thought process.

That's all. No need for anything more. It is finished. The end.