Easter meditations

Hello blogosphere! Yes, I'm still here, buried beneath exams and projects... yet still finding time to smell the roses and bake a pupacalove (or eight).

Recently, I discovered an ancient Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, which is translated "forest bathing" - a deeply beneficial practice of going into the woods and soaking up the natural surroundings. I have always enjoyed the benefits of a good hike and loved breathing the woodsy scents of mountain air, and now I know why.  There are actually scientific studies showing improvement in blood pressure, stress levels, etc. after forest bathing. When one cannot go to an actual forest, it is helpful to touch a bowl of water or sit under a tree for a few minutes - to have some contact with nature during each day, as a way of replenishing the natural harmony. It sounds so refreshing to me! From now on I intend to make conscious efforts at shinrin-yoku as often as possible; it's also quite conducive to prayer and meditation.

This week is Easter week, the celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead after His crucifixion (which is remembered on Good Friday). Such tremendous joy abounds among family and friends who come together to celebrate this great feast, the highest point of the liturgical year for Christians. In honor of the occasion, I begged my mother for a special recipe I remembered from my childhood: Italian pupacalove cookies, made with a simple dough and sesame seeds. As a child, I loved rolling out the dough and pressing a hard-boiled egg into the center, then splitting the ends of a log and curling them back towards the "body" around the egg, forming a cute doll-like shape. The recipe belonged to my mother's godmother, who came from Italy. You probably know by now that I am the nostalgic sort, so... I woke early on Easter morning and went into the kitchen to bake these delicious festive treats. I made 2/3 of the recipe, which ended up being 7 cookies and the dough for an eighth split into smaller cookies because I could only use seven eggs. I had colored the eggs beforehand with vinegar and food coloring in boiling water, using a simple immersion process. How beautiful, when they came out of the oven, looking and smelling just as I remembered!

I'm currently deep in my past and present, writing my autobiographical essay for my senior seminar course. Amazing things come to light when I examine my life in hindsight, using the two-and-a-half pages of prompt questions (!) for the assignment. It is a thorough reflection on my personal development as a human being, as a student and all of the various roles that I play.  This time of year carries many memories, sweet and bitter, for me. Most of all, I think of how much I have been loved and blessed in this life. This thought gives me renewed courage to continue on the path I have chosen - since life is, after all, too short to die.