Easter and other like days....

I'm not a religious person. I tried to be at one time in my life. I was born into a Catholic family and have had nearly all the Catholic Blessed Sacraments. I sang in the church choir, served on the liturgical committee and the Human Service committee at my church. I made banners and decorated and kept vigils. I was into it for a while. But then I realized I was into it for the wrong reasons. I wasn't into it because I felt connected to it in any way. I was doing it for my Mom. Now, that in itself might seem like an okay reason but when you're talking about the subject of faith and fervent beliefs, I think there should be more meat to that bone. When I stopped to really meditate and think about it, there was a lot of things that organized religion did and still does that I absolutely cannot agree with. And I saw no way to pull it into the new age so that is when I knew I had to part company and find my own way.

And now it is Easter. Easter is a very special time for all Christians. The resurrection of the Messiah is what they've all been waiting for and this Holy Week, with all it's distinct ceremonies, leads up to the glory of this even nicely. I can appreciate the history and pageantry of it all. But again, I'm left with too many questions to truly believe.

So what do I believe and why do I get into the holidays so much? I mean, most of our celebrated holidays have something to do with Christianity. Christmas, well that's a no brainer...the birth of Jesus. Easter...his death and resurrection. Even Thanksgiving was a celebration to God for getting the Pilgrims through a rough winter. I love the holidays - all of them. And I don't just celebrate them in a secular way either. I find there is meaning in the spirituality of it all. And maybe that's what I believe in. I am a spiritual being. We all are. Whether we define our spirituality with the name of some organized religion or not, we all aspire to a higher being. God? Not sure. For some, God is very real but so is Allah and Krishna and any number of other deities. Certainly, they can't all be wrong. I don't feel the need to identify the higher being. No name needed nor any description or tales of great exploits. This being is within me and everyone I meet. And my prayer is that quiet time I take to just listen to my breathing and the beating of my heart. Each beat, each breath tells me to do good, be calm, take pride, go forward, live, laugh and love. And that is what I do every day but on the holidays it is amplified a hundred fold. The importance of being with those we love, to laugh, to eat, to just be in their presence cannot be stressed enough. It's good for our souls.

So, no matter what you believe or how you celebrate I wish you all a very Happy Easter from the bottom of my heart. I hope your day is filled with new birth and a sweet start to only good things!