Celebrate the new

Easter weekend is here once again, and the holiday means different things to different people. Having been raised Catholic, for me — as I’m sure it does for plenty others — the day itself and the weeks leading up to it go beyond the chocolate bunnies and marshmallow birds and into the spiritual.

One thing I think is common among everyone, though, is the sense of newness, of rebirth or life taking a new direction. I hope that has more to do with the springtime being when baby animals are born, and not so much with the cute pastel colors you see everywhere.

While the colors are nice, and certainly bring to mind sunny blue skies and colorful blossoms, here in Wyoming that can be a bit misleading since most people who live in west/northwest know there’s still a bit of chill waiting just over the horizon. Despite that, life can easily be seen returning in the lawns and tree branches awakening from their gray slumber.

At our home, the boys are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Easter Bunny with about as much enthusiasm as they give to Santa Claus — and checking to see if the jelly beans they planted the other day have sprouted into any new types of candy. This weekend will give them some time with grandparents, and hopefully just enough of a sugar buzz to get them to sleep on the trip home.

Whatever the Easter weekend means to you, and however you celebrate, I encourage you to take a look around and enjoy the sense of newness of this season.

And if your jelly beans happen to sprout anything on their own, I’d be cautious of eating them.