Approaching 30: Confessions of An Easter Baby

I was born on Easter Sunday 30 years ago, when my mother was 30 years old.  As I am rapidly approaching 30, I reflect on new life and the true meaning of Easter.

My Easter birthday

As a child, I thought Easter was all about me–my own personal holiday.

My parents loved to tell me how I was their little Easter bunny and about the nurses putting little pink or blue bunnies on all of the bassinets at the hospital.  It seemed especially appropriate that my nursery and baby book were Peter Rabbit-themed.

I knew, of course, that Easter was about Jesus’ resurrection but growing up in the church of Christ taught me not to attach too much religious significance to holidays.  (After all, they are based on pagan rituals, and we should be celebrating Jesus all year, right?)

I used this philosophy to justify my self-indulgent focus on bunnies, eggs and chocolate each Spring and forget the true meaning of Easter.

Embracing new life

The arrival of Springtime in Texas always feels like an anxiously awaited birthday present. But this year, I needed Spring sunshine, green grass and bluebonnets more than ever. The six weeks between Christmas and Valentine’s Day are always a little bleak, but this winter was particularly taxing as I juggled caring for a newborn and toddler during unusually cold weather.

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the Earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land … . – Song of Solomon 2:11-12 ESV

Discovering the dead, forgotten Easter lilies I planted last year coming back to life a few weeks ago filled my heart with joy.  It reminded me how much God cares for me, how He is always at work even when I don’t notice.  I realized that Spring is the annual earthly fulfillment of His promise of new life, a symbolic glimpse of what awaits us in Heaven.

Approaching 30

This Spring marks the beginning of a new chapter of my life: my thirties.  My 30th birthday falls two days after Easter and one day after we finally honor my mother at Aggie Muster.  I’m sure this is no accident or coincidence.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away … . – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV

Most of my twenties were spent navigating my mother’s Alzheimer’s disease and making stressful care decisions. Now I’m entering my thirties, a fresh start in celebrating life, soaking in every moment with my husband and our daughters.

Celebrating Easter with my girls

I could never have imagined that I would be blessed with two precious little girls to create new memories with on my 30th Easter. I want them to know that Spring and Easter are about new life and fresh starts, about Christ’s resurrection and the forgiveness of sins.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Our home is filled with Easter decorations, the girls’ personalized baskets are awaiting the Easter Bunny’s arrival, and our vegetable garden has fresh plants and a new barrier in the works to keep our dog from helping herself to this year’s produce. We’re cleaning up our diet and clearing clutter from our house.

But more importantly, we’re falling more in love with Jesus and one another every day.  We’re praying together.  We’re laughing together.  And we’re practicing grace and forgiveness together.