OK, so I'm a little late on posting this. That's because the week after Easter I took some time to go home and visit family, which was a welcomed break. It has always been difficult for me to sit and do nothing, to not have plans at all. But I did just that, for 5 days as my kids and I hung out in NP with a couple of their cousins. The first couple of days were cold and wet so there was a lot of hotel swimming, but by the end of the week we enjoyed playing outside at the park. I feel like we experienced all seasons in 5 days, as we drove north in 29 degrees and snow, and then we had some spring rains, and finally on Friday we returned when it was sunny and in the mid 70s. I started thinking maybe it was a bit like the Triduum, right? I mean, it did get progressively better during that week. And we do have the hope of a warm and sunny summer ahead. The rains are needed to nourish the ground, to prepare it for growth, so that beauty and abundance can spring forth.
As Catholics, the Easter season lasts 50 days, compared to the 40 days of Lent. So we have a good bit to dig into the resurrection and the effect that had on Jesus's disciples and the effect it has on us as his people. I was talking to a friend recently, a fellow Catholic, and they were like "after Easter you can breathe for a bit right?" and I was like "well then there's the Easter season.." and they said "But that's nothin' compared to Triduum and Easter right?". Well, I'm not so sure. In my church I keep the choir active until the Feast of Corpus Christi (or Body and Blood of Christ), so all the way until the first weekend in June. It gets a little hot in the choir loft after that (no AC in our 158 year old church) so I allow them the opportunity to break for summer. But the days leading up to that, Pentecost, Ascension, Trinity Sunday--it's like a post-Easter marathon in a way. There are sequences that are sung on two of those days, and our church, being called Holy Trinity, always has a celebration after the Trinity Sunday Mass. We also have first communion and confirmation, so, lots of stuff.
I feel the need to pace myself a bit though, as my body is already screaming at me. I'm having what I am now calling my "post Easter pain in the neck". Playing the organ and tilting my head upwards to see the music has taken it's toll on my spine, and this morning I'm going in for a Chiropractic adjustment to alleviate some severe neck, shoulder, and sciatica pain. I hope it helps but I think my next step may be to get into some therapy, where I do regular exercises and stretches to keep this from happening too often. I will need to see my primary doc at the base to see what they can recommend. I am only 35 with a lot of life ahead of me (Lord willing) but I knew from a young age that my back was a bit wonky. I just never had the resources to try and do anything about it. Maybe attacking it now while I'm still young will make for a better and less pain-filled future.
So that's the latest from this mommy. I don't anticipate much "resting" this summer, as we have the kids going to all kinds of camps and activities, and before we know it, it will be August and school will return. Life keeps moving forward one day at a time. Until next time, friends.
