Maybe it was because one of Jackson's friends told Jackson that he was going to ask the Easter Bunny for a very specific (and very expensive) toy. This prompted this letter to the Rabbit himself:
Now, in my day (imagine my cane pointing to you and my false teeth chattering here) the Bunny brought treats and eggs and MAYbe some chalk or bubbles. Certainly nothing expensive. Definitely nothing that was specifically asked for. (The Rabbit did leave a note in return to remind Jackson that "the Easter Bunny Code specifically forbade him from bringing children lots of gifts so this year was a one time exception." And, no, the bunny does not know how old he is.)
Maybe my irritation this year was finding myself at Toys'R'Us when I would have rather been in bed, paying WAY too much money for toys and making the salesperson search through the boxes in the back after I couldn't find the "blue light saber that lights up and makes crashing noises".
MAYbe it was Googling "religious significance of the Easter Bunny" and finding out that there is none. (Seriously, at least Santa came from a nice guy who gave kids gifts and gifts were brought to the baby Jesus.) And, it probably shouldn't have taken me 31 years to wonder why the HIZZY a MAMMAL is bringing EGGS. (FINE! 36 years.)
MAYbe it was the blessing that Jackson gave over the food at Easter dinner which included thanking the Big Guy for the "Easter Bunny and Easter eggs and Easter candy". Jesus got an honorable mention at the very end of the blessing after I ASKED IF HE COULD BE INCLUDED.
Now, I thought we were doing pretty well with making sure our kids recognized why we celebrate Easter. Each year, we place a large picture of the Savior on the cross on our dining room table. It sits there for days and then, on Easter morning, we change the picture to one of the Savior appearing to Mary outside of the Tomb. Saturday night, we sat and talked about the events that happened during the very special week, so long ago. We even talked about spring and rebirth and watched a video about the Atonement. And, after all of this, Jesus STILL got only an honorable mention at the very end of the blessing after I ASKED IF HE COULD BE INCLUDED.
The final straw was seeing this:
The picture of the Resurrected Savior Jesus Christ surrounded by all of this, well, crap. Notice that the kids even got TWO EASTER BASKETS because they have some very thoughtful and generous Grandparents. (Feel free to ignore all of the tax papers behind the picture. This is another reason for my annoyance and for why you shouldn't expect another post until the 16th, at least.)
And, so, I ask you to please share with me how you make Easter a special and sacred holiday amongst all of the "fun". A couple of things that I have thought of for next year are to do the baskets and egg hunts on Saturday and keep Easter Sunday more reverent. And, to share the message of Jesus Christ's atonement. (Our neighbor's helped us out by giving us some dye tablets because our box was missing them. They asked the boys to color an egg for each of them. So, we put the eggs in a basket and added some verses from Luke. Our Lukie had the most adorable expression on his face as we crossed the street to give them the basket. He carried it very carefully the whole way and seemed so proud.) Doing things for other people is a great way to celebrate.
The fact that my husband and I cannot take a nap at the same time because of this
is not helping Easter matters for future years, either.
And, here the boys show off their loot.
12 comments:
I'm only at the beginning of trying to teach my daughter the significance of Easter, and I'm not sure she got much this year. A friend of mine models the week leading up to easer after the savior's last week. They do something each day that will remind them of what happened to Jesus. I'm not sure how much it sinks in with her kids, but it seems like a good idea if you're willing to put in the effort. I'll e-mail you a post she made on her blog about it.
Denise maybe you could just let the boys enjoy Easter they will learn about the savior over time at church and at prayer time. It is fun holiday for children. Not too much sinks in at their young ages. Look at the Easter egg hunt at the White house not exactly a religious event. But the fact that they go to church and learn about the meaning and a mention in your daily prayers is enough I think. Plant some flowers and watch them grow over the springtime. A type of rebirth. Just a though not a sermon. Dad
"just a thought, not a sermon." We quote that all the time here, and no one knows what we are talking about! Thanks!
We don't celebrate "Easter" anymore...we buy easter candy and have a general conference marathon with the kids and eat the easter candy, and on Easter sunday we have a nice dinner and watch Jesus of Nazareth. They haven't felt any loss, and Jack and James don't even know who the easter bunny is.
Actually, it's "not a sermon, just a thought". I tried to reply last night and had all sorts of good thoughts, but the word verification didn't show up so I lost everything. You have two goals, both opposites, you are trying to obtain. What our Savior did for us and the true meaning of Easter and the Easter Bunny and all that goes with that. The joy in a child's eye as he finds those Easter eggs and the excitement of the hunt will pass far too quickly. The true meaning of the Easter season and the sacrifice our Savior made for us will be learned in time. I like Michelle's friend's idea about doing something each day as a reminder of the Savior's life on earth that last week. On the mother side, I would just keep it simple - candy and some small treat. I have a good Jewish friend who liked the idea of the Easter bunny and decided to create "Spring Fairies" as a way to share candy and treats with her sons. They loved the idea. As your boys grow up, they will learn the true meaning of Easter.
Your post reminded me of an article I read in the Deseret News last week, about the disconnect between LDS members and the celebration of Christ's resurrection. In between bunny-madness and General Conference, it gets overlooked.
Here's a link to the article:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700021832/BYU-study-Disconnect-between-Mormons-and-Easter.html
I think you're on the right track; it'll be easier as they get older. We do our bunny-related stuff on Saturday, and in fact we generally don't do baskets. We do a big egg hunt in the backyard (or in the house, weather depending) so they get plenty of candy, and I'll include a few "big" things (the chocolate bunnies, a stuffed animal) that is labeled with their names on it. That way it's an event rather than a hand-out; or, possibly, I'm making them work for their candy.
I couldn't agree with you more. When I was a kid I'd get a basket with a stuffed bunny and lots of chocolate and candy. Somehow Easter has evolved into another gift giving holiday. It's especially hard when my girls' friends get an abundance of large and expensive toys when we just give them goggles...LOL.
Good luck. I focus on the religious since I feel like everywhere else they hear about Santa and The Easter Bunny. I find the Friend has good suggestions to teach and learn in a fun way. All I know is everything works out based on what is important to you. So even if they are more excited about the stuff they will love the Savior as they see your love for him so keep asking to include Him and he will be in their lives and hearts.
I'm with you on the whole Easter Bunny doesn't bring presents thing...when did it become another Christmas (the commercial side I mean)?
I love your posts...! to add to 'not a sermon, just a thought' I would say 'do whats right for your family' ....your a good mom who really puts a lot of thought into everything..what you come up with will be the right thing for your family
What a great post. I found myself thinking the same things recently. We don't do baskets or gifts at all. Call me scrouge but I don't want to take away from the sacredness of the day. I have a friend who puts short scripture verses, Easter quotes/thoughts, and pictures of the Savior in the plastic eggs, along with candy so that she can teach them along w/ them having fun. Just an idea. Love the green basket grass all over the floor!! You're probably still finding it too, aren't you?? :)
Denise, I cannot put into words how much I love you! You make me laugh so hard that my kids come running to see what's wrong with me. You are such an amazing mother and your boys are just hilarious! Thank you for sharing with us, I need the laughs. It also makes me feel better about my life ;)
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