This Easter my mind is drawn back to when my children were young and Easter mornings were filled with visits from the Easter Bunny, Church and family gatherings.

I can see my young daughters and son running under the hot tropical Guam sun, dressed in their Easter best, with baskets swinging back and forth on their hands, as they searched under rocks, bushes and near coconut trees for bright colored eggs. Their laughter and squeals of delight each time they found their treasure still brings joy to my heart as the memories play in my mind.

Those were the times before life came and took its mark on them with the trials that come upon us as human beings. That was before the divorce and before my coming out. I reach back sometimes thinking it would be great to return to such a time of innocence but I know that wistful thinking would not change the truth.

The Christian theme of resurrection today is appropriate to my children and I in terms of our lives and growth since those early years. We have all been able to rise above hardships and pain into new selves, better selves. We are no longer those people from those many years ago but we have grown in love, understanding and empathy one for another. We have literally rolled the rock of our trials away and emerged into new lives.

With Easter and Spring in our midst, my hope for my children and I is to continue to grow now as adults in becoming the best humans we can be and in developing the greatest attribute of all to its fullest….which is LOVE.