It’s happening again: Easter. Whether that means a new pair of special occasion shoes, seasonal consumption of marshmallow peeps, upping your gardening game, or attending religious or family events, Easter makes an impression on many of us.
7 years ago, I wrote my first Easter post for the blog. It was about rebirth, renewal and change (with obligatory photos of animals in their Easter finery). I was then (as I am now) about to begin my sabbatical– 8 months of research leave. Oh, the plans I had back then! Here’s some of my list of to-do changes I was planning on making back in 2015:
- Getting back in shape for summer road biking with my (faster and younger) friends;
- Returning to mountain biking;
- Daily meditation;
- Regular stretching and strength training;
- Training to become a better hiker;
- Canoeing and kayaking more;
- Picking up tennis again after a 30-year hiatus;
- Eating more veggies
Well, it’s 2022 now. And I don’t know about you, but 2015 feels like a hundred years ago. Life is different. Work is different. My body is different. Even Easter is different: we are approaching each other more distantly, more carefully, with more virtual events replacing in-person ones. The world is in turmoil. Many of us are dealing with losses of loved ones or struggles of our own.
Looking at that 2015 list, I can say that in 2022, I’m:
- planning to purchase an e-bike for road and gravel riding with friends;
- meditating daily;
- doing yoga and stretching regularly;
- writing more;
- still not doing much strength training, but we’ll see;
- kayak shopping this week;
- not even thinking about serious hiking or tennis;
- still a work in progress in terms of eating in ways I find self-caring
In this list I see change, movement, intention, hope, and some letting go of my past self and my past goals and plans. This is a new year, a new Easter, a new spring. That’s my Easter message to you, dear readers. There’s renewal to be found in change, letting go of old goals and plans, and finding direction by looking at where you are now.
I wish you all a Happy Easter, with whatever sense of renewal and rebirth that speaks to you here and now.
