I have adapted this from a blog I wrote a few years ago while living on a boat in Greece, it still resonates for me today?

Easter was a lovely simple affair, in Greece they don’t go in for the massive commercial take-over of every religious festival like we do in the UK. It’s so lovely to be away from all that over consumption, materialism and greed that ramps up at this time of year as they try to sell us as many eggs and other “Easter” paraphernalia as possible.

We did however manage a small easter egg hunt afloat, got to keep the crew happy, and teens still enjoy the pursuit of chocolate, don’t we all! I even had to hide things a second time!

We had an amazing full moon last night , she was resplendent, hailing spring; the renewal, and rebirth of life after our long winter months.

This helped me make more sense of the celebrations at this time of year.

Eggs to symbolise new life, chocolate or other sweet treats for celebration and to symbolise the hope of bounty to come. Spring heralds in new growth, the return of that possibility, the beginnings of this years crops which will feed us through the year.

A wild flower spring bouquet found on walk around the shore and woods signifies all of this, the beauty, the new growth, natures bounty.

Now, of course we can easily forget about all that. Food of infinite types and varieties is available all year round we needn’t concern ourselves with how, when and by whom they are grown.

In fact we hardly need concern ourselves with which season we are in anymore.

Many of us are often more concerned about what the weather is doing from a very selfish point of view, summer sun is for us, rain interferes with our plans.  Thoughts of what crops might need it are simply not there any more.

Of course this is not true for all, but for many and even if we grow some fruit and vegetables the imperative of spring and this time of year have gone. If all else fails, we believe,  we can still get food whether we grow it or not, we no longer live or die by the seasons and what they bring.

I think this is a loss. It’s loss of connection with reality, who and what we are as creatures of planet earth. We have been disconnected by our outsourcing of our food production to some distant place and people we never see far less know.  Someone somewhere is doing all that for us; worrying about getting seeds planted, crops in the ground , watering them and nurturing them through to fruition FOR US.

And for these people it matters, it is a matter of life and death; if they want to eat, they must feed us.

So let’s give thanks for that, for the return of spring, for the resources provided by nature, and work done by our fellow-man, which enable our lives to continue, for the farmers around the globe planting their seeds, the men and women who toil on our behalf.

THANK YOU…………..THANK YOU……………THANK YOU.

How will you give thanks this Easter?