1 Peter 1:3

It’s been a busy Spring, but today we enjoy a moment to rest and take stock and celebrate blessings with family: Easter. While I love Christmas — and so do the kids — there’s something special about Easter. The return of leaves and birds and yes, even yard work, but also the reminder that our lives have a greater purpose not of this world.

And then there are the Easter eggs!

I don’t know about you, but I vividly remember hovering anxiously nearby as my mother boiled eggs and dissolved the dye tablets, the sharp, stinging scent of vinegar filling the kitchen. Then there was the little ritual of bending the flat wire loops into hooks to fish the eggs out of the bright bowls of coloring. It’s a tradition I’ve enjoyed passing on to my own children.

If your own children or grandchildren are young enough, I’d like to suggest a little magic trick to impress them. After the hard-boiled eggs are cool enough to work with, use a white crayon and carefully draw crosses initials on the shell. Of course, it isn’t magic, just the wax keeping the dye from reaching the surface of the eggshell — but you should see those eyes widen as the shapes become clear. You’ll be creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Of course, Portland has its own Easter traditions, and my favorite is the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. Strictly speaking, it isn’t just for Easter since it runs from the end of March to the beginning of May, but it certainly reminds us that Spring has officially sprung. I hope you have something just as special in your neck of the woods, and a very Happy Easter!