Yesterday we went to my parents’ house for the annual Easter egg hunt.
Every year my dad hides plastic eggs for the kids out in their back yard — 24 little eggs, and 1 big egg per kid.
The little eggs have candy in them, and the big egg has money in it.
The eggs are all labeled with the kids’ initials to keep things fair and easy to keep track of.
Well, for the kids under 18.
Grammy and Papa don’t do eggs for grandchildren who are now legal adults (but they do give them a little cash).
The egg hunt is still fun no matter how old the kids get, and there are always a couple eggs that take everyone a long time to find.
My dad really enjoys hiding the eggs and watching the kids. Still. No matter how old they are.
Once the kids have all their eggs, they eat way too much candy, and then we have lunch/dinner and hang out/play outside/do whatever until everyone is ready to leave.
I’ve been trying to be consistent with exercise, and at 4pm I still had about 40 minutes left to close my exercise ring on my Apple watch.
I told everyone I was going for a walk because I knew if I waited until we got home there was no way I would do anything.
“Do you want some company?” my mom asked.
My initial reaction was to say no because exercise is usually my alone time, and I just wanted to log those 40 minutes and get it over with asap.
My dad turned 80 in January, and my mom turns 80 in September. They are both in good shape.
But they are also both 80.
Who knows how many more Easters we will all have together, or how many more opportunities I’ll have to go for a walk with my parents.
I mean, I plan on my parents being around for many, many more years.
But sometimes life throws unexpected curveballs.
And what if life threw a curveball and this was the last time I could go for a walk with both my parents?
I’d be consumed with regret if something happened to either of my them and I chose to miss out on this impromptu opportunity.
So I asked my dad if he wanted to come along, and the three of us headed out the door.
I told the kids we’d be back in about 45 minutes.
An hour and twenty-two minutes later, my parents and I returned.
Our quick walk turned into a leisurely trip down memory lane, my parents reminiscing about the good old days.
We walked up Old Farm Road and then around Meadow Ridge, a retirement/independent living community that used to be mostly farmland where my dad and his friends used to mess around.
My parents showed me the spots they used to hang out when they were teenagers, where my great-grandmother worked when she met my great-grandfather, and where the barns used to be.
We had a really nice walk.
I’m so glad my mom asked if I wanted company, and I’m so glad I said yes.
We had a really nice walk and a really nice Easter.
I’m so glad my mom asked if I wanted company, and I’m so glad I said yes.
Sometimes the most remarkable holidays end up being the simplest ones.
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