So, this is the strangest Easter weekend I’ve ever had. No matter your belief in the origins of the day, generally in the United States, it is a day of reverence; a day of family and friends. Under the pall of disease, Petoskey was quiet, today. Churches were shuttered as well as the restaurants people would flock to afterwards for a seasonal brunch. Yesterday, Saturday, the sun hovered high and bright, and yardwork was the theme since every neighbor up and down Mitchell Street was either raking, pruning, or outside with children. For us, the evening slipped into darkness as Christine and I were at the war table of Dominoes. Today was different. As Pantheists, we don’t celebrate Easter in the Christian sense, but we do relish the rebirth of spring and the essence of Universal energy shrouding all with a day of kinship and omens of togetherness. Why most can’t continue that the following Monday is a mystery to me, but there’s always hope. Today was deathly quiet. We walked to the breakwall, watched fisherman, and scanned the surrounding emptiness. No cars. Virtually, no people. No anything. Clouds and a Nor’easter trumpeted an impending storm, and visions of winter returned on the horizon. Then for the first time in our lives, we did a virtual birthday party for son Joshua – he turned 27. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but love poured forth and emotions were satisfied. We toasted, we blew out candles, and Little Tommy, in D.C, climbed all over his parents as they tried to eat and participate. The event was charming. Then when over, all was quiet. We receded to the kitchen, did dishes, and Facetimed daughter Kelly and the other grandkids. This isn’t the Easter I grew up with – the solemn services, the ham and scalloped potatoes, and the green bean casserole. But you know? It was good. People are alive and doing well being hunkered down, and Christine and I are forever grateful that our family have careers and avocations that continue on well outside the people lining up for foodbanks and whatever other hardships await. The day was about rebirth and reverence to life. The day was about resurrections of spirit and gratitude. The day was another day we could tick off the calendar, and in the reality of Nature and the Universal energy around us that doesn’t go by calendars or time segments, Easter should be like every other day. Why do we want to make it different?