Easter always feels like it should be one of those picture perfect holidays. Matching outfits. Beautiful baskets. A calm, meaningful morning focused on what the day is really about.
And while there are little moments of that, most of the time, it looks a lot more like real life.
This year feels a little extra special for us, too. It’s Charlotte’s first “real” Easter. Last year she was only three months old, so everything felt more like a blur than a memory.
And while I’d love for it to be slow and meaningful and perfectly captured, I know it will probably look a lot like this instead.
The Night Before
In my head, I’m preparing everything early, setting out baskets, and going to bed on time.
In reality, I’m:
- Filling Easter eggs way too late at night
- Realizing I forgot something small but important
- Trying to keep everything quiet so no one wakes up
It’s a little chaotic but also kind of fun in its own way.
The Easter Baskets
I always imagine this sweet, slow moment where the kids come out and gently look through their baskets. What actually happens?
It’s:
- Excitement
- Wrappers everywhere
- Immediate requests to open everything
Charlotte will probably just grab whatever she can reach first, and Ben will be all in until something isn’t exactly what he expected 😅
It’s not calm but it’s definitely memorable.
Getting Ready for Church
This is probably the part that looks the most put together from the outside. But behind the scenes?
- Someone doesn’t want to get dressed
- Someone spills something
- I’m trying to get everyone ready while also getting ready myself
And somehow, we still make it out the door.
Not perfectly, but we make it.
Remembering What Easter Is About
In the middle of all the chaos, this is the part I try to hold onto the most. Easter isn’t about getting everything right. It’s not about perfect traditions or perfectly behaved kids.
It’s about Jesus.
It is all about the sacrifice, the love, and the hope that came from the resurrection. And right now, in this stage of life, that doesn’t always look like a long, quiet devotional moment.
Sometimes it looks like:
- A quick conversation while getting shoes on
- A simple explanation in words my kids can understand
- A reminder to myself in the middle of the noise
It may feel small, but it still matters.
The Rest of the Day
The rest of Easter usually looks like:
- Family time
- Good food
- Kids coming down from sugar highs
- A house that somehow gets messy again
It’s full. A little loud. A little chaotic. And very real.
What Easter Actually Is
It’s not perfect. It’s not always calm. And it definitely doesn’t look like the picture in my head.
But it is:
- Joyful
- Meaningful
- Full of grace
Because at the end of the day, Easter isn’t about how well I pulled everything together. It’s about what’s already been done for us.
Closing
If your Easter doesn’t look picture perfect this year, you’re not doing it wrong. In this season of life, meaningful doesn’t always look quiet or put together.
Sometimes it looks like:
- Sticky hands
- Half finished conversations
- And moments of truth squeezed in between the chaos
And that’s enough. Because even in the middle of all of that, the meaning of Easter is still there. Jesus is alive!
Looking for more behind the scenes of our perfectly chaotic life? Life Reality Check
Be sure to follow me on Facebook to know when a new post is live! The Recipe Reality Check
