When you think of the Easter holiday, you likely have this perfect vision of a family gathering, perhaps an Easter egg hunt with the kids, and everyone laughing and smiling. Reality can be almost the opposite at times. At least one thing gets burned, the siblings are in a fight because one got more eggs in the hunt than the other, and three family members came down with the spring flu.
The Food Matters, But…
Yes, everyone looks forward to a nice family meal. Whether you go with some traditional favorites like ham and mashed potatoes, or you decide to grill out, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is the time spent with family and friends being thankful for the blessing of this holiday.
- Choose a meal plan that is not going to stress you out.
- Don’t overlook the value of a pitch-in. Everyone brings a dish and you provide the meat and drinks.
- You can even dine out if you plan ahead. The goal is to bring everyone together over a meal. There’s no rule that you have to cook it.
Handling Squabbles
When it comes to kids, thinking ahead about things that trigger sibling feuds can go a long way toward avoiding them. If the kids fight every year over who grabbed the most eggs, then dye the eggs in several colors and each person can only pick up eggs of their own color.
Of course, kids will be kids and they might find something else to argue over. Try to let them settle it on their own but also be ready to step in with an activity to distract them from their squabble.
Debbie Downer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ_R-G_i4Xk
Do you have a Debbie Downer in your family? You know this person. No matter how positive or happy the occasion, he or she finds something to bring everyone down. Perhaps you comment on how pretty the dyed eggs turned out this year, and Debbie has to point out that you didn’t buy cage free eggs and go into detail about the travesty of the poultry industry.
C’mon, admit it. You know someone like this. The best course of action is to not let Debbie bring everyone down. If necessary, just change the subject. Debbie must be pretty miserable with her life to try to make everyone else so miserable. Maybe some of your joy will rub off on her.
If all else fails, give Debbie a gift you bought just for her. Few people can stay negative when handed a gift for no reason at all. It just makes one happy.
Start Traditions
For a truly memorable gathering, start a few new traditions. Perhaps you could work as a group to help a charity. Everyone could bring items for the local food pantry, for example. Another idea would be to have everyone talk about what Easter means to them and why they are glad to be there. It doesn’t really matter what the tradition is, only that you have the tradition to remember for the rest of your life.
When I was a little girl, my grandmother always bought the kids chocolate bunnies for Easter. You know, the little hollow ones with the hard candy eyes? Only, I never liked chocolate as a kid and really don’t like it much as an adult. So, my grandma always got me a white chocolate one. Even though my grandmother has been gone for many years, when Easter comes around and I see those little chocolate bunnies, especially the white ones, I think of my grandma and the memory brings a smile to my face.
What memories will you build for future generations?
