When Did He Outgrow Easter Eggs?

During the meal at this year’s Passover Seder, I turned to Sudi (17 years old) and asked, “Do you want to dye Easter eggs this year?” He rolled his eyes. “Mom. You ask me that every year. No. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

Which year was it, last year, the year before, that he stopped dyeing and hiding Easter eggs? He makes it sound like we haven’t done eggs for centuries. But one year, in recent memory, we dyed dozens and I hid them for him and he looked and then he hid them for me and I looked and then Ron hid them for both of us and we looked and then I hid them for him again and he looked and then his friends Michael and Freddy came over and they hid them for each other, several times, and all looked, and somehow one of the eggs was misplaced and turned up months later in Ron’s CD rack. (I’m surprised it didn’t start to smell bad, but actually it didn’t—we threw it out without cracking the skin open.)

One year Sudi quivered and shivered with excitement, bounding through the house like a Labrador retriever puppy, tongue hanging out, eyes sparkling in anticipation, hunting eggs. Demanding “Again, hide them again.” And the next year: “Mom. No. I don’t want to do Easter eggs.” Shaking his head in disbelief that I would even bother to ask. Especially when I knew full well that he had refused to carve pumpkins the previous fall.

When does the magic go? Carving Jack-o’-lanterns. Putting cookies and milk out for Santa (and a little lettuce for the reindeer). Peering into Elijah’s cup to see if he drank any of the wine. Playing dreydel for walnuts and pennies. Ah well, the magic is not gone for long. It will be back soon, not just with grandchildren one day, but when my adult children get nostalgic. “Remember when we….? Could we put paper turkeys up for Thanksgiving again? Make Hannukah cookies? Watch Groundhog’s Day – it’s February 2?” The silly little customs, the details of celebrations, holidays, events. The family stuff. It comes back. And our multicultural family sure has twice the fun, with more celebrations than most. Good Passover and Happy Easter to you and your family, and to all a good night.

I can’t resist sharing with you this Zits cartoon that appeared today. As the mother of an avid skateboarding teen, I laughed all the way through breakfast with this one. Enjoy.



[Please note that I will be returning from Dad’s 80th birthday party in NJ next Sunday, which may delay my blog column a day. If no column posts on Sunday, then stop by on Monday to read my latest.]