Some Holidays are Easier to Explain than Others

Always think through what you’re about to tell your kids.

If you aren’t religious, this Sunday was Easter. As we put Tom and Huck to bed Saturday night, we informed them they’d be having a big day. We’d need to go to Church, and spend a lot of time with family, there’d be a lot of other activities as well.

On Sunday, as we were loading in the van for Mass, I wanted to explain Easter to Tom. I quickly realized that would be a much more difficult conversation than say, Christmas. Any toddler can get behind celebrating someone else’s birthday, and then getting presents for it. Heck, there are lights, and trees, and a jolly fat man in a bright suit.

So we went to church for Easter, which in Tom’s mind was just Sunday. Huck, just didn’t like the crowd. The rest of this story is second-hand. Because when you have toddlers at Easter Mass, you sit outside while your two-year-old stomps on ants, instead of allow him to cause a major disturbance at the back of the church.

The other Father explains Easter

As the priest was explaining the Gospel, he let slip the point of Easter, Jesus died for us. Tom suddenly began paying attention.

“Mom. Hey, mom. Who are they talking about? Who died? Mom!”

“Jesus did, buddy.”
gasp

“Awwww Maaaaaan!”

I’m sure that’s what Peter, Paul, Mary and John were thinking too buddy. That’s exactly what they were thinking.