Happy Easter!

Greetings and salutations,

Life seems to be a trial and error process, at least in some regard. It would seem that I might just have figured out a critical component of succeeding in life. While Papa insists that it may not always hold true, good behavior tends to be rewarded. For instance, the fact that Mama and Papa had to rent a U-Haul to bring the bounty left by Santa Claus serves as a poignant example. Today appears to be another striking verification of this maxim. The hopping hare left not only a copious amount of goodies for me to savior, but also provided the ambiance for one of the best components of a marvelous Easter weekend celebration.

Easter Sunday itself began with Mama, Papa, and I scouring the homestead in search of a treasure trove left by the Easter Bunny. Eventually, with Mama's keen directional sense, we uncovered a wonderful selection of interesting treats. From a large bouncing ball to an abundance of bubbles to a bathtub football the ensuing mischief to be created was written all over my face. And that Easter Bunny clearly has been paying close attention. He brought be my very own Elmo remote control; now I need not nosh on Papa's remote any longer. Lastly, the ol' hare dropped off my very own Kosuke Fukudome jersey shirt. My extensive research indicates that Easter is not quite the event in Korea as it is here in the United States; thus, I would like to think that this act of generosity is the Easter Bunny's way of going global, crossing cultural boundaries aimed at expanding his worldly presence.

But even with the booty that the Bunny bestowed, that was not my favorite part of the day. After my afternoon siesta, while strolling by the living room window my keen vision noted multiple brightly colored objects strewn about the yard. I immediately asked if Alice got into the household cleaner, but Papa assured me that this was not the case. Mama explained to me that these three dimensional elliptical entities were left by the Easter Bunny for me to collect. And collect I did! With bloodlines suggestive of a Christopher Columbus lineage, I discovered a plethora of these eggs. Mama and Papa were exceptionally useful in assisting me in this endeavor, and I had a fantastic experience. It turns out that finding the eggs was only beginning. They were laced with something called money, of which I am only vaguely familiar. More importantly, there were sweet potato puffs and yogurt melts in many of the eggs. Now that is living! If this is my reward for being pleasant, cordial, and mild-mannered, consider it lesson learned.

And while the Easter egg hunt was quite a joy, it pales in comparison to the most memorial aspect of the entire Easter celebration. This was assuredly Mama's rite of Catholic initiation on Saturday evening. What a spectacle that was! The church was illuminated with a large bonfire (just outside the doors, of course), the church choir rang out with booming musical accompaniment, and viewing the congregation holding candles in the darkness of the Easter Vigil was a Kodak moment to be certain. They really went all out to welcome Mama into the Catholic church! I did my best to hold out untilthe end, despite the rather late start to the evening. I watched Mama get confirmed and saw Papa have the privilege of providing her with her First Communion. I am very proud of her, and I felt honored to be able to view the proceedings. Toward the end of the service I admittedly checked out for a brief nap. Sometimes a gentleman needs his beauty rest as well. And it was probably wise that I did given the festivities that then ensued on Easter Sunday, as detailed above.

In closing, it is difficult for me to imagine a more perfect weekend. With a strong faith component, a magnificent ceremony with tremendous personal importance, and the right mix of Bunny bounty, I had a fabulous Easter holiday. I hope that you enjoyed the splendor of the occasion as much as I did.

Carter

Someone in heaven is always looking after me...