Happy Easter 2013
.
Every year, late or early, Easter’s ushered in my Springs
With many memories of freezing in new “Easter clothes” —
Lightweight, pastel coats and hats
In which I shivered glumly
In New England’s stubborn winter wind;
Baskets filled with cellophane green “grass”
And jelly beans and chocolate eggs wrapped round in foil.
The pungent stinging smell of vinegar,
As we gathered round the table
Easter eve, and tried to tint our eggs with pretty colors, not just brown.
A large stuffed rabbit, plush and yellow, who hibernated year round in the attic
And emerged for one day, just on Easter.
In that time, though knowing about Jesus risen from the tomb,
The day meant nothing meaningful for me.
.
Now, many decades later, I’m reflecting on how crushing moments near to death –
Grieving, illness, losses, various catastrophes –
Have led me into times that felt like dying,
Showing how I might come back anew,
My spirit and my hold on life recharged, changed, deeper than they’d been before.
Now, as I reflect on loss and resurrection
And move up closer into Spirit,
I know why Easter’s so important and so right for spring:
Each year I spin into the force of Spirit more and more,
And dream in heart’s deep love — a dream of life enriched, renewed .
.
Reflection
This year, especially, my experience of Easter has moved away from my early memories, as I’ve found myself more deeply aware of the dynamic power of resurgence I experience each time I pass through disconnects and then emerge again into my personal awareness.. Each time, though I’ve remained the same person, I’ve also changed. Each time, I understand better this inexorable ebb and flow of vitality and vision – not unlike the incessant beating of new waves upon a sandy beach. This rhythmic pattern of advancement following retreat defines a life on earth. We are never stable. We can’t remain in the same place, the same vision. We must always change. In this voyage of expanding awareness , we find and suck out luscious joy, the reward of living. “Happy Easter” now has a whole new meaning in me: “Happy Journey!”
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About Rev. Dr. Rosemary C. Hyde,
I am a grandmother, a classical homeopath, a mystical poet, and an interfaith minister. I also have a large, enduring place in my heart for Paris. I first spent time in Paris in 1961, as a Fulbright scholar. I remained in France for three years, living also in Toulouse and in Nancy. I have revisited France and Paris multiple times since then, and have come to know The city and surroundings quite well. I grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where there were many Franco-Americans, and their language fascinated me. I was fortunate in 6th grade, when my family moved, to find myself in a Catholic French speaking girls' school, where I had the wonderful fortune of becoming bilingual. It still feeds my soul deeply, to visit Paris, speak French, and reconnect with the little French girl in me.
I am serving presently as President of the global online Peace Initiative called LivingPeaceNow.Org. We are bringing together worldwide in 3 languages — English, French, and Spanish— small groups of Connected Peacemakers to help deepen and hold Peace globally with their thoughts, words, and actions.
My goal as a minister is to add richness to life for those who resonate to more than one religious tradition or to none -- those with mixed religions as well as the unchurched, untempled, and unmosqued.
All of us, whatever our cultural allegiances, hunger for and need support in finding the transcendent joy that's ours to find in this earthly life. All of us need and want to celebrate beautifully the great and small milemarker moments. All of us crave the beauty of prayer as an expression of our participation in universal love. All of us wish to learn a greater vision, to see our lives opening to the Divine. All of us desire deeply to find serenity and peace that lasts no matter what happens today and tomorrow.
This is the meaning of Transcendessence. We find the essence of spirit and transcend the narrow constraints of our bodies and egos. Join us today by subscribing, so you won't miss a single poem, message, prayer, or meditation. And for more varied and beautiful spiritual resources check out the Living Peace Now Facebook page and our website: http://LivingPeaceNow.Org.
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