On Easter morning, my two youngest children drove at home after spending the night at their dad’s house, walked in and darted their eyes wildly around. “Where are the eggs?” one asked. “Did you forget?” the other one asked. The disappointed look in their eyes hit me. I gulped and looked at them and stammered, “I thought you were too old for Easter Egg hunts. I’m so sorry.” My chin quivered, and I sniffled. Their faces deflated, shoulders slumped, and they just looked at me with heartbreak.
“Hurry up and get dressed for church.” As they sulked their way upstairs, I yelled up, “I’m so sorry!” Moments later, my daughter came to the balcony and said, “Good one mom!” My son followed with, “I was worried!” An air of relief actually filled the house.
Instead of our traditional indoor Easter Egg hunt usually held downstairs with each child’s items hidden in a separate room (just as my family had done when my sister and I were little), the Easter treats were actually hidden in their bedrooms! I debated whether or not they were too old for the egg hunt, and I almost opted for small Easter baskets instead. In my overthinking fashion, I debated it for way too long, and luckily I chose to continue the tradition.
Some of my fondest childhood memories were of the Easter Egg hunts my sister and I did. One year my treats would be in the dining room, and hers would be in the living room. The next year we would switch. After checking every nook and cranny twice, my little sister and I would rush upstairs and count the number of items we collected. If we had a matching number, we felt sure we had found everything. Of course, years later, my sister admitted to sneaking downstairs every Easter and stealing equal amounts of candy from both of the rooms in which our candy was hidden. That sneaky, sweet-toothed child made sure we would still find the same number of items, but she would have a secret stash of extra candy. I’m glad she didn’t turn into a criminal mastermind! Ha!
Passing on this tradition to my own children was very important to me. So many years have been spent helping them find the few things they couldn’t find and seeing their faces light up as they revealed each new treat. As the years have gone by, the hiding places have gotten more challenging, and I’m so happy to know that this is something they still want to do. I still don’t know when we will stop doing this. My college-age son came home before the other two, and was genuinely surprised and appreciative when we went into his room and saw that Easter goodies had arrived, but I could tell he didn’t expect it like the younger two. It is a little sad to think of them phasing out of such a fun tradition, but as long as they keep getting candy and money, I think they’ll be more than happy to participate. Who doesn’t love a good Easter Egg hunt?!
As I reflect on how quickly my children are growing and maturing and getting ready to fly the coop, I hope that some of our family traditions will be taken with them into their own families down the line. Our rituals strengthen our bonds and also help foster relationships between generations. Shared experiences bring us closer and remind us that we can find a safe harbor at home. Telling stories to our children about our experiences when we were younger and doing the same things they do today helps us feel better connected and helps the kids have a sense of their history. They get to know their extended family a little better through the stories we share. We are all a part of a living history, and I’m thankful that my family can connect with relatives through our shared family traditions!
Do you have a favorite family tradition that you have done since you were young or that you started with your own children? We would love to hear about them. We never participated in the “Elf on the Shelf” at Christmas, and I can’t decide if we missed out on something magical or dodged a bullet!
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