Happy Easter, everyone!
Now that all of you are (hopefully) recovered from the heart attacks I gave you with my April Fools’ Day post, I thought I’d take this Easter Sunday to tell you about why I love the month of April. It might be month #4 on the calendar, but it’s month #1 in my heart.
First and foremost, it’s a very symbolic month for my family. My brother and sister were born in April, and sadly, my grandmother passed away in April. I also remember several springtime weekends/short holidays we took to Cape Cod when I was high school. Of course, speaking of that time in my life, I also fondly look back on all the spring breaks I had as a kid. In my area of the country, spring break would usually occur in April. Back then, I wasn’t keen on traveling, but it was fun to relax, play video games, and have no responsibilities. Those were the days…
As a kid, I especially loved Easter, which often falls in April. No disrespect to Christmas or Thanksgiving, but I loved going around my house and looking for eggs. This would quickly be followed by an indulgence of chocolate and other sweet treats. Occasionally, my parents would throw a new Playstation game or some toys in there as well. Then, we went to church and usually had something pretty tasty for dinner. Ham, prime rib, and I believe there may have been one year when Easter and St. Patrick’s Day were close to each other on the calendar, so we had corned beef and cabbage. Not exactly April-related, but still yummy. All this talk about food is making me hungry, so let’s move on.
As Catholics, we were taught to sacrifice something for Lent. Another reason I’ve always liked April and Easter so much is because you have an opportunity to get that back. Over the years, I’ve given up things like certain unhealthy foods or restaurants, social media, video games, or bad habits like swearing or being negative. I think giving up something for Lent teaches us something really important. It allows us to spend less time on trivial, material things which don’t help us be the best versions of ourselves. Since that one thing is absent from our lives, we can spend more time with God with thoughtful prayer and reflection. Full disclosure: I copped out this year and went the food route. Chicken wings and tenders, to be exact. However, if I could do it over again, I would have given up checking the coronavirus numbers on Facebook first thing every morning. Next year, I’m definitely giving it more thought and giving up something that will have more of an impact. Something becomes absent so that God can be more present (and so that we can be more present in our own lives). Looking back, I don’t think chicken wings really accomplished that. Oh, well, there’s always next year. And I’m getting hungry again, so on to the next one…
One thing I never could give up for Lent would be sports. Well, maybe I could, but the main reason that it would be so difficult is that April is the best time of year for sports. The beginning of baseball season meets the crowning of a new college basketball champion. The world’s best golfers gather in Augusta, Georgia for the Masters, the first major of the year and my favorite golf tournament. I realize that having it in November was better than not having it at all last year, but it just didn’t feel right. Honestly, it just felt like another run-of-the-mill tournament on the golf calendar. In 2021, it returns to its rightful place. The NFL Draft gives all 32 NFL teams (well, maybe not the Houston Texans) new hope for a new year. Usually, the NHL and NBA Playoffs would also headline the month, although the calendar is still gradually working back to normal after the delays caused by COVID. Similar to the Masters, hockey just felt completely out of place last year when the playoffs were contested in August and September (although the Sabres still weren’t in it, so at least that part was familiar). For soccer/non-American football fans, there is the Champions League. Also on this side of the pond, Formula One is in full swing. So as you can see, there’s an abundance of sports to cater to any fan, and don’t listen to the people who will try and tell you that October is the best time of year for sports, because they’re wrong. They’ll say, “It’s the World Series!” “NFL season!” “The new NBA season!” “College Football!” Here’s the reality–the baseball postseasons have been relative snoozefests for several years now (last year in particular was a total BORE), the really important NFL games haven’t started yet, and the NBA is overrated and has no parity. And you think the NBA’s parity is bad? Look at college football? Alabama. Clemson. Alabama again. Clemson again. Maaaaaaaybe sprinkle in some Ohio State or Oklahoma if we’re lucky. Rinse and repeat. I rest my case.
When baseball season and the Masters get underway, that’s the sign that spring has officially arrived. Obviously, it wouldn’t be possible to play these sports if the weather weren’t warming up (although an indoor golf tournament would be interesting to watch). This leads to another reason I love April–warmer weather. This winter was four months long. It felt like four years. You sometimes have those Aprils in which spring and winter go at it like optimists and pessimists on the Prague Expats Facebook page. But typically by the end of the month, you’re in the clear when it comes to snow and cold. By April, the clocks have been turned ahead, so you can enjoy those 7:30 or 8:00 sunsets. During last year’s lockdown, being able to go for walks in the April weather was so liberating and lifted my spirits. Go for a solo nature walk every so often–it’s such a great way to clear your head and experience the beauty of God’s creation.
I want to close by coming back to the true message of Easter. I feel that this is something that people often forget. Easter is the day when Jesus rose from the dead. It marks the moment when death was defeated and hope sprung eternal. Jesus died for our sins and then came back. That’s why April and Easter make me feel so hopeful. So the next time you want to give up, remember that Jesus himself was once down and defeated. But he never gave up. And that’s why we have the blessings we have today. Jesus’ perseverance is a reminder that no matter how bad things might be right now, there is hope. Hope always springs eternal.
Jesus rose again. So can you.
Czeching Out the World of TEFL 