Spring arrived early in Colorado. We have already been wearing shorts, and I am LOVING it.
Easter always falls around the same time that I begin thinking of spring. This Easter it will be 70 degrees in Lakewood and we will have our annual Easter brunch. Because of the warm weather we'll be able to do it outside! Mike makes his famous vegan quiches, his famous cinnamon rolls, plus a few other vegan delights that already have me super excited. It will be a wonderful time with friends who are part of our family.
Easter to Mike and I is also a very spiritual, contemplative time. Most of you already know that we are a gay, vegan couple, and we are also a Christian couple. (It's OK if you gasp at this point. Regardless of the reason for the gasp, we get it, and you won't be the first. We get that some Christians give the whole of Christianity a bad name, and we know many more who give it an amazing name.) We begin the day at our church, the same church where we met and the same church where we were married. Yet for me, my favorite holy day around Easter is Holy Maundy, the Thursday before Easter. This day is the day the Last Supper was held, and in many spiritual and religious communities they hold ceremonies around the washing of the feet.
Yes, people wash others feet. For me it's an amazing opportunity to let go of judgments, to remember that I want to love all others, and that in the end we all have more in common than not. It reminds me that I want every action I take to be of love and service to all living beings, never to hurt or cause harm. The washing of the feet is to show love to those in your close circle but it is also to show humility and to be of service to those who might be your enemies. I don't have any enemies, but I do have those I have issues with.
And these days, the days of vegan marshmallows, vegan peeps, and vegan chocolate bunny rabbits, Easter is ever more fun. (Thanks Sweet & Sarah!)
So Happy Easter everyone. Mike and I are way grateful to all of you. Your love, comments, feedback, and support are an incredible force in our lives.
I've known two other couples who, in my eyes, were Christian and seemed to really walk the talk. They never judged anyone or preached at them. They were simply cool to everyone and would help anyone without a second thought. Helping others was just second nature to them. I was always skeptical of religion (and still am) but people like you and them show that religion can be a beautiful thing. Hats off to you! You continue to amaze me. :)
ReplyDeleteWe will be enjoying Mike's cinnamon rolls for Easter--my mom is making them. They're so delicious! I hope you guys have a wonderful holiday!
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful post, Dan. Thank you and Happy Easter :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks to all of you for your loving comments. We are so grateful. This is why I love this blog!
ReplyDeleteAmazing blog today! I am always inspired by the amount of reflection you write in such a short and awesome way. It's a nice reminder to me to look inside myself and reflect.
ReplyDeleteWill someone please tell me where to find this vegan cinnamon roll recipe? My girlfriend would flip if I had some ready for her the morning of her day off...definitely her favorite sweet!
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DeleteThanks so much! Mike's cinnamon roll recipe was the topic of one of my blog posts a few months ago, so you can just look at my past posts. They are DELISH!
ReplyDeleteAwesome. I think it's August 8th, not of '08. My blog only started last July! :)
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DeleteThanks for your post. I am also gay and a trying-to-be-vegan vegetarian. I'm new to your blog (thanks Erin), so I'm wondering if you have or will post the recipe for the famous cinnamon rolls. I realize some folks don't like to share their recipes, so I'd understand if that's not possible. Thanks and happy Easter to both of you!
ReplyDeleteJules! Welcome! Go to our August 8 blog post from last year and the recipe is there. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with Holy Maundy, but the way that you describe it sounds like the perfect way to focus on service and interconnectedness. I think it's really special when people hold onto a deeper meaning that resonates with them at holidays. I hope that you and Mike had a wonderful Easter.
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