Renew. Rebirth. Hope and light. Spring celebrations, bright colors and flowers…sheer joy. I love Easter. To be honest I love all holidays, but Easter is pretty delicious. Happiness galore, great music, flowers. What’s not to love?
This morning I was watching church while doing my exercises, the beauty of Zoourch. Feeling the need for some more music I put on the Apple Music Easter Mix. Good stuff. The classics, Ride On, Ride On In Majesty, Thine Be the Glory, then…The Old Rugged Cross. And with that…the waterworks came.
The Old Rugged Cross was one of my boyfriends favorite songs. My guy Lew had many girlfriends, basically every woman who knew him. Lew passed a few years ago, he was over 90. A WWII vet, brilliant, decent to the core, a man of conviction and honor. He was a collector of music, a collector of knowledge. He loved my Olivia and I loved him. Sigh. I think I loved Lew so much because he reminded me of another one of my loves…my Uncle Bill. Uncle Bill grew up in a two-family home in Queens with my dad. Note: did you know it is no longer politically correct to say two-family home, the correct terminology is now multi-unit home. Please also note I am ignoring that advice. Uncle Bill and my Dad grew up as brothers, both only children, they were more like siblings than many siblings. My Uncle Bill loved collecting music and knowledge just like Lew. Uncle Bill also served in WWII, liberating one of the camps. Uncle Bill loved music, walking into his home each Easter meant a mandatory lesson in classic hymns and wine. Men of a different generation. Really good men.
This is a ramble. Holidays are emotional for me.
I am both embracing the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel…and mourning yet another holiday without my family. We are scattered and we miss. We wait, we wait to be together, to sing loud, to have egg hunts, to be one. My Easter Peeps.
Wishing you a beautiful day…no matter what renewal you are celebrating, embrace it and enjoy it. We have been given the gift of learning how to miss, and with that we will appreciate each other so much more.
Oh… and if you want to experience the goodness of Lew, just search his name…Lew McKinney and Veteran’s Day…at pctv76.org you will be blown away.
Swooning 