Holidays changed over the last year – a lot. Religious holidays changed in that as I lost traditional community in church, I found my spiritual time in other places. Before the advent of Covid, I had already been frequenting nature more than church during late Sunday mornings, but that’s another post for another time. My church was creative and proactive in filling the void that mandates brought about, but I was headed down another path.
When I moved across the country, I was surprised about the activities that I could still partake in, from a distance. My book club was just one. It took a bit to get back into the schedule, with getting Internet and a new library card, but I didn’t expect to still be in it as I had moved away. Church was another. I have turned to daily Bible reading and have had some great discussions with my boyfriend, but my church was still holding worship on YouTube and Facebook. I had said my goodbyes, but took their prayers for a safe journey and was touched when I received palm crosses in the mail. Easter was coming.
It would be the first year that I didn’t have an egg hunt for my son, who was too old for them years ago, but that didn’t stop me when we were in the same house. This made me feel even more distanced, from him and from the holiday. I wouldn’t be having my mother over for a holiday dinner either. It was another new beginning for me, how appropriate for Easter.
On Good Friday there were two events. We set out on the highway and drove a 30 mile stretch where members of a church were organized into stations and gathered to hold up 10 foot crosses made from pvc pipe. The cross event was set for four hours and it was a cold morning, but as we passed each group, people smiled and waved, one little boy jumped enthusiastically; grinning widely. It was moving to see so many devotees, every few miles, over and over, some braving the early morning chill in insulated coveralls.
We ventured back to town, to the square, the end point of a walking journey from a neighboring town where over a dozen people took turns carrying a 40 pound wooden cross. We waited in a diner that we had been wanting to try, sharing hash browns and an enormous, homemade, dinner-plate-sized cinnamon bun. We left town before the cross arrived, but saw a small crowd gathered to greet the participants.
Our mission was a park in the Mark Twain National Forest, which is all over Missouri in spots. I had no idea that we could be there in a 35 minute car ride. The parks and conservation areas here are amazing. They are free! Some are maintained better than others, but with less staff than I’ve seen at county and state parks back in Florida, it means that you need to read signs carefully, use common sense, since you often lose cell phone reception and some areas are pretty wild.
We ended up at a gorgeous lake with hiking trails. There were two fishermen, each far apart on the water and the views were serene. Birds sang, the water was calm, except for a waterfall, and the trail around the lake was well worn; we just needed to lean into the hillside a bit as it was steep and there were no rails or ropes (common sense). We had a lovely picnic lunch, our dog rolling in the grass next to our table. Kind of perfect.
Once back home, Easter Sunday also brought cows; and since it’s Spring, calves. The property across the road is an open field, a small part of a large farm. It had been about a month since the cows were rotated to that field. I sat on the front porch enjoying their calm company.
That night found us enjoying our first fire. A pit was dug in a rocky area and at my paranoid insistence, there was a live hose nearby. I missed the fire pit back in Florida, probably more the friends that shared it with us and my son. Like at that fire, our dog stood guard, facing out into the dark night. Only here, she would sneak off to follow up on sounds, no longer limited by a fence. We shared a bottle of nice wine and made S’mores. So many stars were visible and we heard an owl hoot and coyotes howling in the distance. This Easter was different, but I felt blessed all day long.
