Rep's Corner

As April showers bring May flowers, we are reminded of how nice it is to hear a bird chirp and to see leaves on the trees. While winter provides us with fun activities such as skiing, ice-skating and sledding, nothing is better than the first, fresh day of spring when we can open our windows and sit on our porches. Many of us also look forward to dusting off our golf clubs, tending to our gardens, making home repairs and letting the children play outside after five blustery winter months. There is no doubt that springtime breathes fresh life into all of us.

For Christians, the start of Lent signals that spring is on its way. Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday, is the 40 days before Easter Sunday, and is patterned after the 40 days Jesus prayed and fasted in the desert in preparation to teach and lead His people. During Lent, which is considered a time for penance, many Christians fast and pledge to honor Lenten promises. The Lenten season and Easter festival are closely associated with spring. The new plant life that appears in spring symbolizes the new life Christians gain because of Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection. Families often come together to celebrate Easter dressed in their best, renewed by the Lenten season.

Another spring holiday that celebrates the renewal of spring is Passover. During Passover, the passage from slavery to freedom is re-created and celebrated with a Seder dinner by those who are Jewish. Traditionally, the Seder, a festive meal that includes the story of Moses and the Hebrews exodus from slavery in Egypt, is celebrated on the first and second nights of Passover. This year, Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 19, and continues the following eight days.

Springtime is a time for families to re-connect during Easter and Passover. Even though many of us are still paying winter bills, the holidays are months behind us and many families look forward to reuniting over traditional meals and egg-hunts. However, just like during the holidays, it is easy to get sidetracked with planning for Passover Seder and making Easter baskets. While it is tempting to get caught up in the preparation of the family events that face us, we must remember to be fortunate for this time in our lives. That we are here to celebrate another spring with our family and loved ones is a true blessing, as well as the reasons that join us together.


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© Copyright 2008 State Representative Lynn Olman. All rights reserved.