Get up. Wish everyone in the household a Happy Easter. Answer the phone that is ringing off the hook from extended family who are also wishing us well. Get ready for Church. Get there super early to beat the rush. Come home. Easter lunch: 8 course meal that includes lasagna as an appetizer. Visit grandparents. Easter egg hunt. Eat treats until stomach ache ensues. Watch a movie. Head to bed.

The above is the Easter schedule of my childhood and teenage years, without fail.

It was great for its predictability and joy spread throughout the day, especially with the excitement of seeing happy family members. It also flew by in an instant, getting to the end in an exhausted state (even more so as you got older and were tasked with responsibilities rather than being on the receiving end of all the hard work).

Moving out of the house, the Easter tradition changed.

Not a bad change, just a different one.

Then with the advent of my own family, the magic of the season could be brought to my own children, which is exciting in its own way to watch.

However, this will be the second year in a row where this joyous holiday will be spent locked down and isolated. While last year was acting out of survival mode to ensure the usual parameters were in place to make the day run smoothly, this year… it’s time to reframe it completely.

The kids will get to wake up to an Easter egg hunt. We will have cinnamon buns for breakfast. I’m going to stay in my comfy clothes and not feel guilty about it. We are not going to rush to get a seat at Church, but rather bring the celebration of the Church into our home through our time together. Provided no disasters happen in the morning, I’m going to watch the Jays game in the afternoon. I will regale the story of the ’93 World Series for the 900th time while my wife searches for a heavy object to throw at me. Family will be called. Texts will be sent and returned.

Things will be simple.

The day will be celebrated.

And it will be one to remember.