WONDER

The tables were pushed together end-to-end to accommodate a feast as giving and seemingly unending as the long views that poured out over the Valley in front of us.

We were asked only to bring our favorite dish and to be mindful that, “presentation is everything.”  We arrived early to dress the tables with a riot of flowers.  At first I thought it such a shame to cover all that gorgeous rough hewn wood, but then the antique white linen came out and I could feel the spirit of a hundred grandmas wrap around this sacred space.

As bold and eccentric as the thirty of us gathered, the hand-painted platters crowded and spilled out to every corner until only quiet glimpses of linen caught the afternoon light.

After everything was put down and overflowing we surveyed what we had created, this 'life canvas' painted by those of us who stood arm and arm with loved ones, toasting glasses in hand.

And just when I thought it just couldn’t get any better, pastel-painted boxes filled with lively baby chicks were placed as centerpieces in the chaos of all this wonder.  While others filled their plates with deviled eggs and cupcakes, I nestled tiny goats in petticoats underneath my arm.

This Easter there’s a new wonder that’s set in. The table is still set in honor of the day. But there’s a simple quiet that slows the pace and shines the light on familiar faces who have become surprisingly more radiant under a constant gaze.