The Easter Bunny by Sherrilyn Tamayo-Siplon

Last Sunday, my 8-year-old son and I watched Hop. It was about a man who wanted to be an Easter bunny and a bunny who wanted to be a famous drummer. It was predictable, and a highly commercialized celebration of Easter.  It has no connection at all to what the real Easter is all about.

When I think of Easter, I think of how Christ conquered darkness and triumphed over death by coming back to life. All that He and His Father did was to love us. Jesus suffered humiliation and torture as a human being and yet continued to love us up to now, every minute and every second of our 24 hours.

These past few weeks have also been quite torturous for me. There was the rush to start and finish a paper in two-and-a-half days. I tell you, I’ve never felt that kind of headache before.  It was like forcing your 12-year-old car to run 200 miles per hour when it can only do 60 or 70. After that, there were the chores to be done at home.  The duty to become a good mother and guardian to my one-and-only son: find a playmate for him or be the playmate to him. Last but not the least: to be a wonderful wife at whatever the cost.  The cost: lesser time to finish more deadlines because now I had to help my husband unpack and reshelf about 8 pallets of 10 feet high boxes weighing a total of 9,000 pounds and finish it in an hour-and-a-half or less so my son and I can make it to his doctor appointment.

But what really touched me this week was God’s kindness in answering my prayer.  In my hurried life, I forgot the piece of cloth which was the banner to be used for my son’s first communion. I left it inside a cart in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I was only able to get back to the parking lot after three hours but on the way there, I had started my prayers.  I asked God that I get it back out of kindness to the old and pious woman, Nanay Endrina who sewed it despite her frail and weak hands. As I stepped out of my car, I surveyed the carts in the parking lot. It was not there. I got to the entrance of Wal-Mart where a huge number of carts were parked. It was there in a cart in the front row!  I started to cry out of joy as I walked back to my car, telling myself, “God really loves me.  Praise God for His extreme kindness on His poor, lowly servant.”

So, this Easter Sunday whatever sufferings we are currently experiencing or had experienced, let us offer it to our Lord of Resurrection knowing this too will pass and He will guide us through the dark and stormy nights!  Happy Easter to all! Always remember that some bunny loves you! Blessings!