Easter 2011

I was born in a family of Catholics and I married one so Iaine was baptized to be a Catholic as well. I admit that we don't attend Mass every Sunday but I pray in my own time and I have a strong spiritual side. So when it comes to Easter Sunday, we, my family, and my in-laws celebrate just like any other happy Christian family.

April 24 was so eventful, I felt like it needed more hours to celebrate Easter Sunday. Dragged myself out of bed at 4:30am and we left the house at around 6:30. We arrived in Lipa at 8 just in time for the Holy Gospel at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church which is famous for apparitions of Mama Mary. Being in another city was a breath of fresh air. I seldom go to Lipa for any reason.

I was surprised to see the church so thickly populated at 8 in the morning. People of all ages crowded the church and even the parking lot. The officiating priest gave a short but meaningful homily and the prayer songs were upbeat. It was a good Mass and it was done quickly.

I always leave the church feeling like my burdens have lifted. I like that feeling.

We had a quick brunch in Lipa and then went back to our neighborhood to host an annual Egg Hunt for my MIL's side of the family. As soon as we were finished hiding the eggs, I guess you could say everyone scrambled to find them.

After all the fun and food, we drove back home to get packing. We were headed to a pool resort that afternoon to top off the Easter celebration. Yay!

To be honest, I hate packing especially when I need to do it on the spot but as a mother and wife it's one of the things I'm starting to get used to. I had no choice but to hurriedly gather everything we needed for that outing; clothes, towels, toiletries, bottles, bathing suits, etc. And whle we're on the subject of of bathing suits, I was surprised to find that most of Iaine's 2-piece swimsuits don't fit her now! I was still lucky to find a pair though -- Old Navy in brown, yellow, and orange with flower decor.

Coincidentally, it was also the perfect time for Iaine to wear her pink Old Navy flip flops. She was so ready for summer!

It was a long trip; 45 minutes to an hour, giving me and my younger SIL plenty of time to have a funny conversation about a school we both went to.

We took a final turn into a narrow dusty road and finally got a glimpse of the resort. We were still in the car but from our elevated standpoint we could already see the glistening cyan waters of the wave pool flocked with an estimate of a hundred people unbothered by the scorching sun. The wave pool looked like a small ocean although run by wave generating machines and its loud siren roaring in the background could be heard even outside the resort area. The place looked very inviting.

We entered the resort and had a closer look at the place -- I found the cabanas too small and the pool waters cloudy. I decided to not let that bother me though and chose to have a good time. And as soon as we were all dressed (or should I say, underdressed) for swimming, we hit the water. At first we dipped in the smaller pools and gave the wave pool a try in between. And during breaks we enjoyed scrumptious juicy pork barbeque, steamed white rice, salty sweet pancit, and ice cold thrist-quenching Coke.

I had such a great time with my husband and our daughter who by the way looked so adorable in her 2-piece swimsuit and her hair in pigtails. At first she was afraid of the water but the longer she was in, the more she loved it. By the end of the day she was laughing and playing with me and her dad in the pool. It's one of the best days of my life.

After hitting the showers we retreated to the cabanas to rest and wait for other family members. We were all tired from all the fun including Iaine who conked out as soon as she was rocked to sleep. When we got home it was already dark out so we couldn't make it to my grandparents' house. It's a usual thing we do on Sundays to visit my maternal grandparents so I was really sad we had to skip it. I texted my mom and told her we'll just have to make it up to them. After dinner, I realized that Monday morning was just a few hours away and Jai was about to leave for work again. So with all the love in the world, I stuffed his duffel even though I was so exhausted already. After making sure I collected everything, I did my bedtime rituals and hit the sheets.

I think the tap water had some sort of sleeping pixie dust mixed in because as soon as I lied down next to Jai and rested my head on his chest, I felt so sleepy that half-opening my eyes was a struggle. The last thing I could remember was Iaine playfully kicking my back while drinking from her bottle, Jai's strong loving arms wrapped around me and his lovely scent. Then I blacked out.

At 3 in the morning he woke me up, said goodbye and gave me sweet kisses. I did the same.. and blacked out again!

The next time I opened my eyes was around 8am, the sun high up and Iaine was crying. Usually I pick her up, but this time I couldn't move, like my body was run over by a truck. My muscles were in so much pain I had to text Iaine's nanny to come upstairs and take her. She did and I had no choice but to get back to sleep and get more rest.

By 12 noon I felt better and resumed my momma duties. I also texted Jai immediately and apologized for not properly saying goodbye. He kindly understood and I was relieved and thankful to have such a wonderful husband.

Easter Sunday represents the resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing the new life all of us could have after dying from our sins or whatever our weaknesses are. My Easter Sunday was all about that. To others it was just another day, or just a day of egg hunt and a beach outing, but to me it was so much more; a day that gave me a chance to rekindle relationships and realize that everyday we are always given a chance to rebirth our spirits, forget pride and forgive instead, and love one another. Easter Sunday reminded me not only of God's love for us, but also how lucky I am to be blessed with that love.

My family is the absolute proof of that.