It’s Easter

To me, first and foremost, Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus. I get it. But, also for me, there is a lot of other things to celebrate on this day too. There has been so much rebirth everywhere. From the minute details of the daffodils blooming to the emergence of myself and my husband from illness to the rejuvenation of old relationships: there is a sense of fresh start everywhere.

Second chances are everywhere, if we take advantage of them. I think this applies not only to religion, but to life in general. I have to admit, there has been so much change to take in that sometimes it’s overwhelming as well as wonderful. I am sometimes not sure how to process it all. I make sure to never let it overwhelm my sense of gratitude, but I am noticing that there is still an underlying sense of anxiety and “waiting for the other shoe to drop” again in my every day life. It seems to be affecting my whole family as well. I think it’s just normal with everything we have been through lately.

I realize that I need to make a conscious effort to keep moving forward, and to help my family move forward with me. We need to make the absolute most of and learn from these second chances. We need to focus on what gives us joy, even if it is something as small as watching my grandchildren hunt for Easter eggs or as monumental as hearing that my latest scans are clear.

So, as you gather with family and friends today to celebrate our Lord, also take time to celebrate each other and life in general. Take nothing for granted. Embrace every opportunity. Learn from each other and your own mistakes. Savor every moment.

Have a happy and blessed Easter.

Dr. Katz

It was still a good Easter.

Yes I said it. Easter was still good. I saw everybody posting in despair about not being able to see family members. Umm. Unless you live alone, you still saw some family members right? Or, even if you do live alone, there is still skype, facetime, zoom, etc. You can still see people that way. Yes, you can’t hug or touch them, but we are not supposed to right now anyway remember? It’s a saving lives thing? So, even if you were able to get close enough to see them, it would still be like a tease because you couldn’t go up an grab ’em like you want so what would be the point?

Anyway, moving on. Like I said, Easter was still good. We still had good food. We still enjoyed the company of just the four of us: my husband, myself, and our two daughters. We ate at the dining room table with no cell phones. My husband did all the cooking! We formed a group chat with the relatives. We still had an Easter egg hunt. I still left baskets out for my teenagers with chocolate and goodies….and autographed pictures of the Easter Bunny of course. We still decorated eggs. We still stopped to remember what the day is really about and gave appropriate thanks. No, we did not attend a live church service. No, we did not go to a big family party. We just laid low. It was a great excuse to not wear a bra and stay in pajamas all day. I don’t think I even showered as a matter of fact, not because I was depressed about COVID or angry at the Governor, but because I just didn’t have anywhere to go. The pressure was off. That’s a plus in my book.

On a side note, we groomed the dogs out of desperation. That really just reminded me of how indispensable our groomer really is and how much I respect her for keeping safety in mind and also laying low right now. Both are dogs now look like a five year old took the kindergarten scissors to them with no supervision. Hey I tried ok? I mean, they don’t seem upset about it. I didn’t cut anything I wasn’t supposed to. There was no biting, blood, or whining. As a matter of fact, at one point they just laid down and surrendered because I think they realize that all other options had been exhausted. So, I am gonna take that as a win…for now. But the second the groomer is back in business I will be begging at her door and bringing bribes…lol.

I think the thing that I enjoyed the most is that the four of us were together all day long. My 16 year old even made an appearance instead of lurking in her room. We had great conversations. We admired our own handiwork in literally every room of the house that is now organized and purged for the first time in like seven years. Whoo! I took the time to just look at my kids and my husband and listen to them and soak up every minute. These things seem so small and trivial, but I treasured every one of them. They all remind me of how precious and wonderful life is and how we should never take even the smallest thing for granted. Hope everyone had a meaningful and happy Easter!

Dr. Katz