Easter

Last week was Easter – Sunday April 2, 2007 – in Gaillimh, Ireland. It was so nice, and by nice I mean lovely, wonderful and comfortable. For the first time I felt pangs of homesickness since I’ve been in Ireland because of all the small but extraordinary things my mom always does on Easter. She outdoes herself every holiday, but particularly on Easter because of the effort she puts into thinking of the perfect present. I mean she still pretends to be Santa for my 35 year old sister – that’s how amazing she is, but on Easter it’s just a basket, and it’s perfect. Around 8am she sneaks into my room and puts a basket on the floor next to my bed; I know it’s her because I wake up and look at her and we always exchange a smile when she’s caught in the act.
“Happy Easter babydolly,” is all she says, and I fall back asleep with my Easter morning complete. That’s all I need – that could be it – that could be all that happens on Easter and it would be complete. That moment where we look at each other, catch eyes and share a knowing smile. I love her. I love her because she’s the most considerate person I have ever and will ever know. I try to emulate her consideration and ability to make everyone feel unbelievably special, but I always come up short.
This Easter though I’m across the Atlantic Ocean. When baseball season opened I missed home because of what baseball is – America, green grass being cut, T-shirts, hot dogs, and an escape from the mundane. But I love Easter – my mom makes about 5 baskets just to put around the house, she buys everyone bunny stuffed animals, candy they especially like, costume jewelry and a simple everyday-type shirt.
So this year I played Mom. I made my friend Katie an Easter basket – sort of. I bought her a pink purse I could only hope she’d like or use, and since Ireland doesn’t have the fake grass I stuffed it with this Tri-color feather boa I had for St. Paddy’s. Then I placed a chocolate bunny on top, and placed a dark-chocolate Kit-Kat, Cadbury mini-eggs, Lindt eggs, and a Butler’s chocolate egg in the bag around the bunny. It was the best I could do. I made a similar one for my friend Chris – sans the purse. I did for the sense of normalcy it would bring for all of us. I needed to do this for them as much as for myself so we wouldn’t miss home too much. The look on their faces made it all worthwhile – I know them both well and I can’t say I’ve seen such a happy look on either of their faces.
Chris, Katie and I went to 10am Mass which was nice, but lacked music so it was anti-climatic. We all anticipated the annual “Jesus Christ is risen today...” but were denied. After Mass we headed back to our apartment and I made chocolate chip pancakes and had Chris cut up a fresh pineapple. My roommate Sarah supplied some Irish bacon, then we all sat together at the spots where I puts place cards down ( I made them) for each person. It was actually really nice.
Afterwards the three of us headed down to the Salthill beach and just goofed around for a bit. We played soccer with a potato the whole walk down and then dropped it into the ocean – an Easter feast for the fish.
Once we returned home I began dinner. I cooked a ham, mashed potatoes, a veggie mix, and warmed up mac n’cheese. Chris is a vegetarian and Katie is the pickiest eater on the planet, but I found a way to please everyone. It was just nice – and nice is a really good thing. Chris and I finished 3 bottles of wine and a Kopperburg – maybe that’s what made everything so pleasant! Or that fact that I finally found jelly beans to put out with my centerpiece (jellybeans, an Easter card from my rents, and my Easter palm/pine branch).
Then after sitting and watching TV for a bit I put the cookies I had baked the day before in the oven and reheated them for about 2 minutes and put them out for the three of us to enjoy. My roommate had left for her own feast hours before, so no worries – she wasn’t excluded.
A few minutes later my family called from Whitestone, NY. They were all almost there – minus my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. I spoke to almost everyone which really made my night, but it was a 45-minute call!! But I needed it. Easter is usually low-key, but it was quite the party from the sounds of it. Of course the year I leave! I guess it’s just because we’ve all finally grown up. My cousin James is the youngest at around 10 and his brother is 15…but the rest of us are 20 and older. My sisters are married to great men and my other cousins are men themselves now. It’s now food, music, laughter and drink, instead of tears and yelling like when we were kids. Listening to their joy didn’t so much make me sad as it did just happy that they were happy. There was no fighting at this point in the day and it was so comforting to hear their joy.
So that was my Easter – my makeshift family and I loved it. I missed my real family, but it was nice. It wasn’t with the “closest thing to family” it was with family as makeshift as it is. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Yes I’d have loved to be home with my other family, but Galway has finally started to feel like home - I’m in love with this place and I’m in love with Chris and Katie as family.
I do miss home-home family, but I feel like Europe is where I belong, for right now at least.