Happy Easter - Sometimes Holidays are Hard

I grew up with Easter Ukrainian cultural traditions that are important to me to this day. In Ukrainian culture we prepare Easter baskets and take them to church to be blessed. Stella now enjoys this tradition with me. I am grateful that I continue this tradition even though I now live far away from my parents and siblings.

As we prepare our baskets this year, I remember past Easters, where I have been, who I have been with, and the past versions of me.

I believe I am meant to evolve mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I know that I want to evolve and change is necessary for my evolution to occur. But holy smokes, change can be painful. That is probably why some of us like to avoid change.

As I look at my change in my physical world compared to the past I feel loss and grief of how it all once was. I miss the familiarity and stability of what was and yet I know that as I grew mentally and emotionally, I naturally changed and my path altered. As I attempt to make sense of change in my life I feel a cycle that relates to the natural cycle of seasons

Stable and content….change…loss and grief…growth

Spring…summer…fall…winter

In the spring I am grounded and planting seeds. In the summer the seeds are growing and natural change occurs. In autumn, the leaves fall off the trees, there is a release as we must let go, as things cannot continue to grow forever. I feel loss and grief naturally occurring in the fall. In winter it is a time to sit still, go inward and look at my growth, congratulate myself on my up-leveling in my life, gather my wisdom and lessons and move forward on my path.

Some days, I may feel all 4 seasons more than once.

Sometimes, holidays can feel like a lot of emotions.

I am learning to move through holidays knowing it is okay to feel sad and lost because it looks different, unrecognizable. Unrecognizable is also visible evidence of my growth and evolution. I step boldly into the unknown of this Easter knowing that miracles are unfolding all around me if I can just be in my present moment.

What are your thoughts on my choice of words for this cycle of growth? Can you relate? Do you have other words or steps to add to the cycle? What are your thoughts on my comparison of these 2 cycles? I would love your input.

Easter 2024 pictures