The Chocolate Rabbit

Yesterday morning I woke up a bit groggy. I believe it was due to the humidity here in New York and I also stayed up past my bed time the night before. Regardless, I dove into my morning meditation. I only took 20 minutes to meditate. I needed to get Joy out for an early walk as my mom and I had a family engagement later in the day.

After the meditation, I showered and then headed into the living room to get Joy. When I did, I looked at the center piece my mom has on her dining room table. It includes a white vase with a yellow flower. A good color for this time of year.

In front of the vase was a chocolate rabbit. I didn't say anything but assumed that I may be the lucky recipient of this chocolate delight. I smiled and headed into the kitchen for some water. When I left the kitchen to put on my shoes, my mom followed me into the living room and indicated, through hand gestures, to look at the center of the dining room table.

My mom was loving and playful. I suddenly felt like a child again embracing her playfulness. I acknowledged the chocolate rabbit and said 'thank you' to her. However, my gratitude wasn't limited to receiving a delicious chocolate rabbit, of which I quickly devoured.

My gratitude was for her parental mastery in creating a moment of unconditional love from such a simple material gesture during a holiday. These are the types of moments my heart is welcoming back into it. So I did just that. I took in the love, gave my mom a hug and went to the park with Joy. Once at the park, Joy and I decided to spread the love.

Not just because it's Easter Sunday but because unconditional love is always present. When we take a moment to allow it into our hearts, it becomes a gift that we can enjoy and share. After our park walk, Joy, my mom and I went upstate to enjoy Easter dinner with family.

We hugged, we laughed, we ate too much food and most importantly, we enjoyed the time we had with each other. After our fulfilling meal, we got up from our table and began to leave the restaurant. I decided to walk out first. As I did I headed towards the exit, a waiter then stepped out in front of me as I got closer to the door.

I took a step back in confusion and then suddenly realized I was unknowingly heading to the kitchen of the restaurant. The waiter and I had a good laugh about it. Then I turned around and saw my family looking at my bizarre route with playful confusion. I suppose the food was so good that my mind decided to cease it's navigation functions haha

Once we arrived back at my Uncle's home, he playfully questioned, "So Joy is going to be exactly in the place you told her to be when we left?". He opens the door and Joy bolts from the couch towards the spot I asked her to "stay" earlier. She was busted and it was hilarious. Additionally, Joy realized that she was, in fact, not in trouble so she headed back to the couch...jumped onto it and snuggled into the blanket she now claimed to be her own. For Joy, this bold move back to the couch was a very proud moment for me. She has become so comfortable with life and she is living in her own comfort more each day.

After Joy's couch adventure, we all sat and shared more stories. As our evening came to a close, we exchanged hugs and headed home. A successful family day.

Embracing family openly and unconditionally is new territory for me. However, like hiking, I can go at my own pace and take it one step at a time. I hope that you and your family have a great Easter Sunday if you celebrate it. If you don't, then still have a great Sunday!

Thank you for reading!

Matt

https://www.planetphoenix.co/blog