Easter is a big holiday for my family.
The spiritual importance of this day is particularly meaningful to me as it is, certainly, the biggest celebration in the Christian calendar. And, as an Indian gal myself who is married to a Latino, boy do we celebrate big.
From the special breakfasts at dawn to the church service itself (and have I mentioned before that my husband is a pastor?) to the post-church celebrations, the Easter lunches and dinners to, yes, even the Easter egg hunts.
I know that not everyone who reads the Austin Moms Blog celebrates Easter as a religious celebration, but I’m sure that for many of y’all that Sunday will still be a full day of activities. From finding a fun place for brunch as a family to pictures with the Easter bunny and more.
There’s just something about Easter that translates to a whole day of busy (though fun), on-the-go activities.
On the one hand, I love every part of this busyness. I love cooking. I love hosting. I love the togetherness and the fellowship of both friends and family. I love that Easter is full of life and that the air is filled with tulips and sunshine. For many reasons, this holiday makes me feel like spring is finally here, and that I have the chance to start things anew.
But, despite all that, Easter can also be an exhausting day, especially for us mommas.
Trying to do two days worth of cooking while keeping a toddler alive (and now also while pregnant) is no easy task. All the things I used to have whole weeks to plan for, from cleaning and decorating to the cooking itself, now has to be done during nap times and in the evenings after said child is in bed.
Dressing a toddler boy up in a three-piece suit with a tie is like trying to wrestle a rhino and win. Last year, my son’s tie was clipped to the third button down on his shirt, the latter of which was still untucked, and I think his suspenders eventually hung down by his knees (sigh). Nevertheless, by the time he was at least this far clothed, it was time for church and I still wasn’t even dressed, let alone groomed.
As Easter draws near again this year, I find myself reflecting on last year’s highs and lows. And I keep asking myself, “How in the world can I, as a mom, find peace this Easter?”
In other words, how can I make sure that I too can enjoy this special day? Are there ways to still practice self-care on a big holiday like this? Is there time for rest?
I don’t have all the answers, but here are a few things I’ve been reflecting on:
1. This year, I’m not going to put as much pressure on myself.
Sometimes, I feel like I have to do everything and it all has to be done perfect. But sometimes there just isn’t enough time to make that “perfect Easter” anymore. I have a toddler; I’m pregnant. My reality looks totally different than it did 3 years ago. I need to do better at accepting that and being ok with what is. Certainly, I’ll do my best to cook what I can. But, if I don’t make it to every dish on my list, we can always order out.
2. This year, I’m going to try and delegate more.
Because I don’t have that much free time on my hands, I want to do better of getting my husband and extended family more involved this year. Perhaps my husband can swing by the store after work to pick up some Easter decorations? Maybe my mother-in-law could help with hiding the Easter eggs in our back yard? If we have friends from church joining us for Easter dinner, I may ask them to contribute a side dish etc. I think delegation will be very good for my stress levels.
3. Finally, this year I’m going to lower my expectations for what a “good Easter” looks like.
That might sound cynical, at first, but hear me out. I think sometimes we, as mommas, have this ideal in our head of what a nice holiday should look like. It goes something like this: a perfectly decorated house filled with calm, obedient children and a delicious feast that everyone is enjoying over rich conversation. Sure, that would be nice, but how often does that actually happen when you have little ones running around? Instead of having a high ideal that will most likely be dashed, I’m trying to be more realistic this year. I’m going to do better at expecting the chaos, the noise and the messes. And perhaps even enjoy it for what it is.
The holidays are always busy, but they don’t have to beat us down. Here’s to a much more peaceful Easter this year!
