Relationships
Resurrection – My Perfect Easter Gift
by Candy Czernicki
Candy Czernicki
When I was a kid in the ‘70s, my favorite toy – even more than my Barbie Dream House – was the Viewmaster. You put these little celluloid reels in and advanced them by pressing a lever. My favorites were Barbie and Snoopy, but thanks to my uber-Catholic mother, I also had The Story of Jesus. I got it for my birthday, as I recall, because my birthday (April 16) often falls on or near Easter.
On Easter Sunday when I was 7 or 8, we were sitting in church, listening to the Gospel being read. The lector got to the part where they rolled back the boulder and there was nobody in the tomb, and I turned to my mom and said, “Mom, did this really happen?” Her response was a harsh smack and a stage whispered “OF COURSE IT DID! SHUT UP!”
It probably won’t surprise you to know that I am now a retired Catholic and, in fact, an atheist. But I’m having a little resurrection of sorts in my own life right now.
You might have read my story in the current issue of RTS, about how the son I placed for adoption and was reunited with several years ago had completely cut off communication. I’ve been bewildered as to why, and deeply hurt, and grieving. And then Easter came.
My birthday fell on Easter this year. I got a gift card to a restaurant I never could afford otherwise, and a new Packers T-shirt (my boys!), and friends made me a steak and shrimp dinner and threw in a peanut butter ice cream cake.
But the best gift of all came from my son, who messaged me to wish me happy birthday and happy Easter, and apologize for his lengthy silence, and tell me he loves me.
I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a better gift.
About the Author
Candy Czernicki, MA, has written for newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs, and edited some of the same. She also has edited books, book chapters, book reviews, journal articles, conference papers, graduate theses, blog posts, and pretty much anything that can make its way into print. From 2002 to 2005, she was an adjunct professor of journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A rabid Green Bay Packers fan, she lives in exile in Minnesota.
