Easter Memories and blessings

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Easter was a special day for us. Bright and early, we would all get up and go to Sunrise Service – there to hear the joyous news that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead gave to us the gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life – that light overcame darkness and sadness changed to joy.

Then we would go to regular services to hear the good news again. Afterwards, we would have a big Sunday dinner and usually, we had company – aunts, uncles, cousins, friends. After feasting and still in our spiffy Easter clothing, we would pile into a couple of cars and go for a walk at the Sarah P. Duke Memorial Gardens attached to Duke University. In the spring, the gardens are incredible in their beauty. The Gardens were about three blocks from our home and often, as a child, I confused it with being “our” gardens because I often ran there to walk among the beautiful flowers, to dream beside huge koi ponds, to slowly walk through the Japanese garden and when it was time, to sniff at the hundreds of rose plants, and later in fall, to stroll among the fall flowers and colored foliage and then in winter, to silently walk among the sleeping garden – often under a blanket of pure snow.

After walking through the gardens with other visitors, we would go to the Royal Ice Cream company. It was take out only. Royal made rich ice cream daily with seasonal favorites. My favorite two were the lemon custard and the cherry blossom – the cherry blossom ice cream was a delicate vanilla ice cream filled with thousands of pieces of maraschino cherries. I have yet to find anything to top Royal ice cream. Maybe it was really that good or maybe it is memories of such happy times. whichever, doesn’t matter.

But I hope your Easter has been filled with many blessings and that you have been able to be and share your love with those you love. the photographs in the slide show are not mine. But please have a walk through a part of happy days in my past. I hope you replay the slideshow while enjoying a bowl of your favorite ice cream.

God Bless You All and Joy to you. Jesus has risen. Jesus has risen indeed!

In Memoriam – Let my Lifesong Sing to You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQD7rSTnxM

My husband’s father died Friday after a brief illness. We had said our goodbyes last week – he heard how we loved him and the impact he had made on our lives and our gratitude for his life of love, faith, honesty, hard work. He truly lived with abandon and embraced life and its stages and seasons. It was an honor knowing him and being married to his son, who is so very like him.

A few weeks ago I wrote several posts about death and hope.  These relate to that post:
Permalink: http://kanzensakura.com/2014/01/18/ashes-to-ashes-hope/ ‎ and Permalink: http://kanzensakura.com/2014/02/07/the-samurai-an…the-art-of-war

I wrote about the things we leave behind that are so important:  our love, joy, patience, respect.  The video for this posting is My Lifesong by Casting Crowns.  it is how I feel about my life and ultimately, my death.  It is a good song for my father-in-law.  I hope this touches you in a way that gives you peace and hope and about living your life.  He touched so many peoples’ lives in so many positive ways.  What a legacy!  He left behind a wealth of unconditional love, unquestioning charity, kindness, humor, love of family, country, and God.

Embrace life. Live life with abandon. Leave behind some of the happiness you bring to the table of life. God bless you all.

Awakening

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