April 12, 2020 Easter Sunday - I remember that I was very sad. The pandemic had been among us for just over a month. Churches and restaurants were closed which for our family meant that our traditions of attending mass and brunch were not available. I had ordered sweet dresses for our three grand-tots living here in DFW and was so excited to see them in their spring frocks. But with government recommendations where they were, our son and his family stayed home making it a pretty small family unit that gathered on Sunday.
Twelve months later, (and thanks to the wide availability of vaccinations) Easter 2021 weekend looked very different. On Saturday, my daughter and her besties from Ursuline class 2008 spent a couple of hours together, husbands, boyfriends and babies in tow. Two of the girls live in Houston and were back for the holiday with family—I love that they make it a priority to see each other when schedules allow.
Sunday morning, my husband, youngest son and I attended mass. Though it’s a relief to be back in the pews, the service felt anything but normal. Mask-clad congregants staring at smart phones to follow the mass and sing hymns imbues the experience with a disconnected vibe. We sat as a family unit, unable to greet fellow catholics with anything but a nod, isolated, yet in a crowd. Another reminder of the past year’s trials.
Following mass, we proceeded to brunch at The Mercury and felt the normalcy we were craving. Masks were optional, though donned by all servers, hosts and restaurant staff. We enjoyed mimosas, feasted on fresh, salty oysters, ruby-rare prime rib, crispy chicken and waffles, tender biscuits ‘n gravy and perfect eggs benedict…and this was just MY plate, lol! We waddled home from there to greet the rest of the family.
And that’s when the real fun began. Hubby and I started dinner early; his job: a prime beef tenderloin on the grill; mine: potatoes au gratin in the oven, creamed spinach on the stove, horseradish sauce in the fridge. Youngest son’s job was “hiding” plastic eggs filled with treats on the front lawn after littles 1 & 2 arrived with their parents and littles 3 & 4 awoke from their afternoon siestas. Little #4 is not quite at the hunting stage so he spent the entire event cocooned in a carrier attached to mama. But littles 1, 2 & 3 were subjected to family photos, poses with Pops & Cookie and had their goodies taken away before they could consume too much sugar. Bubble blowing to the rescue!
After a cool morning, the day turned warm and we were able to sit outside and let the kiddos run wild. Such a joy to see them play together! We filled our plates and ate at leisure, reveling in the company of family until twilight and bedtime schedules caused our group to disperse.
April 4, 2021, will be recorded as a completely satisfying Easter Sunday - celebrating our risen Lord and sharing special moments with loved ones. Though dearly missing our daughter + family in Colorado and our lone isolated girl in Virginia, I am filled with gratitude in this season. Following the ups and downs of the past 14 months has afforded me the insight that life is uncertain at best and therefore must be cherished even in the minutiae of the day. May God bless each of you right now, in this tiny moment. 🌷
