Sometimes, as adults, we allow the holidays to come and go and we simply end up looking forward to the next one, without even realising it. It seems as if it’s a vicious cycle of looking forward and looking back - not necessarily enjoying the moment (when we’re presently in it). As children, Easter vacation was always something to look forward to whether our memories were filled with Easter bonnet parades or Easter egg hunts, it was a time filled with fun and lots of treasured moments with family and friends. With each passing year of life, we should earnestly try to hold onto that child-like, innocent and idyllic outlook even as we charter our individual courses of adulthood.
EASTERTIDE: Granted that through the eyes of a child, Easter seems like all fun and games - bunnies and eggs, stuffed or covered in chocolate - one thing we can attempt to maintain is the sheer gratefulness of the season (just like the children). If you celebrate the Easter holiday from a religious standpoint, you would know that God gave his ONLY begotten son to die for our sins, the ultimate sacrifice. If you find no other reason to be thankful, this is definitely a surefire one. Focusing on this aspect automatically eliminates the ability to turn your attention to other worldly and therefore, temporary situations that you may otherwise give the power to stress you out. In other words, focusing on the positive things, would only lead to more positive things, no matter how small.
MEMORIES OF EASTER PAST: Whether kite flying or goat racing; an Easter tea party or horse racing, Easter celebrations of yesteryear entailed something for everyone. Children eagerly anticipated long awaited time away from school and parents equally longed for the extended weekend. As years have passed though, our lives have generally become more hectic as the world moves at a faster pace, very heavily influenced by the advancement of technology. We therefore, have to sometimes force ourselves to slow down and remember the happiness that is so often associated with plain old simplicity.
PRIORITISE: Avoid procrastination so that your weekend isn’t tied up in things previously left undone. As long as the weeks leading up to Easter, especially Holy Week, were used wisely you should be leisurely enjoying this article because you don’t have any running around to do. The bills are paid and all meetings and other responsibilities have been strategically scheduled either before or after this weekend.
ASK FOR HELP: If the general consensus is to do something extravagant for the holiday, be sure to coordinate all the nitty-gritty details well in advance, allotting time for a plan B just in case things don’t go as smoothly as you planned. Know yourself and what would work for you and all the people involved in the plan. Keep in mind that preparation shouldn’t tire so much that you don’t even enjoy the activity planned! A balance must be found because you don’t want to micromanage either - since this stresses everyone involved. Instead, trust each person to get their small part done effectively for the grand scheme to be a huge success.
KEEP IT SIMPLE: A long drive to the countryside, windows down - sans Sahara dust may be the perfect pick-me-up for you and your loved ones. Even if it is a road trip with friends or family, split up basic responsibilities and remember that less is more. Don’t bite off more hot cross buns than you can chew either. If you know Aunty is a boss with the corn pie and you struggle to boil water, then, let Aunty handle that! Everyone will enjoy and be thankful for your specialty mauby to wash the meal down all the same. Play to your strengths.
So queens, whether you decide to sleep the weekend away - really, forget the snooze button and just throw the whole alarm away - or spend the days camped out on a beach, remember whatever you do should be your decision. It should be an activity that rejuvenates you to tackle the post-Easter week ahead instead of draining the same energy that you try to conserve. If the weekend passes and you feel like a Good Friday Bobolee come Tuesday morning, chances are you did it wrong fam’. Time management is of tantamount importance in order to guarantee an easy, breezy weekend. So too are knowing thyself and realising that sometimes less really is more. The common thread throughout this is “anything that costs you your peace, is too expensive.” Keep that in mind today and all days. It has been a long walk to freedom, but we made it. Have a happy and holy Easter.
A firm believer in meeting you where you are for your health and wellness goals, Zakiya-Tuere Savary is a budding health educator with a passion for dance; fulfilling her purpose one health promoting tip at a time. Follow her on IG @tueretalks