Hallmark Holiday!

I have never seen so many marsh-mellow bunnies before, oh wait, yes I have, last Easter. The mailroom is packed with boxes and packages of Easter treats. Gifts, candy and cards have taken over family holidays. Making them impersonal, selfish and greedy. Truthfully, I couldn’t tell you the religious heritage of Easter, or what significance it has. All I know about Easter is that I get Chocolate and some people go to church. Easter, along with Valentines Day and Christmas, have become holidays for shopping malls. Storeowners celebrate more for high sales, than the customers celebrate the holiday. They have become excuses to give gifts and eat a good meal (sometimes together, sometimes not). Often religious events and family times like these are taken advantage of. People sleep in late, spoil each other, and over indulge. Losing track of whatever the holiday was supposed to represent…not that they knew to begin with.

(Just to make a generalization because every rant needs one) We all do it! Wake up Christmas morning and run to the living room to count boxes, or see who got the biggest one, what we forget is some people didn’t get gifts. Sometimes the biggest gift others get is a bedtime story and a hug, but a hug is perfect for them because they appreciate it more than some appreciate one hundred large gifts.

Easter morning is followed by a long Easter night, because everyone has eaten so much sugar and chocolate. After we/they are stuffed full and can’t hold one more piece, the thought of not finding every-single-one inspires and challenges the children to continue looking, even if at a slower pace.

Valentines day, is the day you tell someone that you love them. Right? Well, what was wrong with the day before? Why are all the best (a.k.a. the most expensive) restaurants booked solid on Valentines Day? What is wrong with McDonalds? I mean, you took your Girlfriend there the day before and made her pay for her small fries and diet coke. But, today you love her, not that buying her things shows love. Wait a minute, yes it does, if you buy me flowers, and chocolate, and jewelry, pay for a nice dinner and say you love me today, I will know that it’s true every day of the year…Right?

Okay, so I am not going to solve the worlds problems but, just an idea: Next Christmas put a giant empty box with and “I.O.U HUGS” sign in it. A year from today, Eat an Easter dinner together with your family and have chocolate for dessert (after dinner). And, tell someone you love them everyday and take them flowers on October 18th.