Whenever I celebrate holidays with my lovely little family, my heart fondly recalls the many special times spent with my extended family when I was growing up. Sharing my old favourite traditions with my boys makes me feel close to the many wonderful relatives whose love helped me grow into who I am today, some of whom are no longer with us and whom I miss dearly.
Two nights ago, I had a dream about my mom's dad, my Grandpa Sweet, who passed away almost five years ago. In life, he was a kind, gentle, wonderful man with a warm smile and a giving heart, and in my dream, he had somehow called me on the phone and I had the good fortune of talking with him once again. I woke up feeling calm and happy, like he had really been with me somehow, and with my grandpa in my thoughts throughout the day, I remembered a favourite Easter story about him from when I was young.
My Grandpa Sweet often came to visit us on special days, and one Easter he showed up at our house carrying a large cardboard box. My young mind was racing with possibilities as I considered what could be inside it. I'm sure my mind wasn't the only thing racing, though; my mom's heart must have almost leapt out of her chest when she realized that the box had holes poked in it and my grandpa was handing her a head of lettuce to go with it. "You didn't!", she exclaimed several times in a shocked voice as she stared, wide-eyed at the box. My grandpa just smiled quietly and offered up the box for us to open. When we carefully lifted the flaps to take a peek, inside we found.... chocolate bunnies! It was a wonderful joke, one we all still laugh warmly about today, and one I think I'll always remember when Eastertime comes around.
Each holiday, as I look at the smiling faces of my two boys, I hope that they, too, feel loved and happy, that they'll grow up with hearts full of joyful memories and realize the importance of family in their lives. I sure know how much all my family means to me and how very blessed I am (and have always been) to have them.
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