I’ve No Right To Complain

Dearest Rachel –

I’d say this is hardly a typical Easter weekend, but given that I’ve been out of the country twice in the last five years over Easter weekend, I’ve no right to complain about this one. But it still feels kind of strange, regardless.

Among other things, I’m accustomed to working the booth over the holiday – and technically, I did do that on Friday; for four separate services, no less. Besides, I was on duty last week, and will be there again next week; I’m sure they didn’t want to overburden any one individual. Nevertheless, it’s strange not to be on assignment when I’m here in town and available for duty.

As a result, Daniel and I are free to go to a single service together – and, given that the others happen to be that much more crowded, we’re going this afternoon. In theory, this frees us up for tomorrow’s dinner with the family, including any preparations we need to make for what dishes we’ve been assigned to bring – although, in keeping with tradition, all we’ve been asked to deal with is the vegetable casserole, which is simplicity itself, if a little boring, if you ask me.

Which reminds me, I’ll need to go out shopping for some of the ingredients in that dish. Now again, the fact that we’re completely free tomorrow, until the family is scheduled to assemble at around three or so, would indicate that we could do this then; certainly, you could relate to procrastinating like this. Then again, trusting places to be open on Sunday, and Easter Sunday on top of that, while a safer bet than it might have been back in the day, still feels way too dicey to rely on. Despite having the day split by an afternoon service, it would probably be better if we were to take care of this some time this morning.

Ironically, this could be helped by the fact that I’m not hewing to a certain tradition today – which is completely my own fault. While the men’s Bible study doesn’t formally meet on holiday weekends (well, technically, it never does anything formally – we’re guys – but you know what I mean), they do tend to gather for breakfast at one place or another in the locality. However, we were asked to let our leader know, so that he could reserve a suitable table for those that would be coming. In the rush of the last couple of days’ rehearsal and performance, I forgot to let him know either way – and by not making a decision, I’ve effectively decided not to go. Again, this is on me, so I shouldn’t complain; besides, it frees the morning up for shopping and otherwise hanging out with Daniel, should he so choose.

We’re also free to meet your old friend for a meal – I don’t know if it would count as lunch or dinner – before this afternoon’s service, if she wants to come to either. I haven’t heard back from her, though, so I don’t know what to think about that. For all that I comment on how I need you to watch and wish luck on us with every letter, this is the point where I mean that so much more sincerely than most. I’ve done what I can; now, at this point, it’s up to her.

Meanwhile, for all the talk about Easter preparations, there’s the possibility that it may all be for naught. It so happens that, while traveling a week ago, my sister appears to have caught a bug, which has spread throughout the week across her family, one member at a time. To be sure, all of them were at the last Good Friday service last night, and the last one to catch it claims that he’s already on the mend (ah, the resilience of youth!), but whether that insistence will be sufficient for the folks to be willing to associate with them (and us, if we spend too much time with them) remains to be seen. We may end up with a situation much like last Thanksgiving, which wasn’t the holiday it was supposed to be, either. Then again, we have the family to spend time with – unlike some people I could mention – so I shouldn’t complain about that, either, even if Daniel and I again have to choose which of them to spend time with.

Finally, I suppose I’m dealing with a little bit of malaise from the usual blahs of turning a year older. It passed mention yesterday because other things were on my mind – and I’ve belabored the point in the past, anyway – which just goes to show how insignificant it is, especially when so much else is happening around me that needs to be dealt with. I did get myself a few less-than-necessary things for the occasion, although I’m hoping to put a few of them to good use in the near future in a way that will do you proud. We’ll have to see about that.

So, yeah; it’s a very strange weekend, as Easter weekends go, and I’m not always sure what to do with the time. You’d probably have a whole host of ideas, yourself, but as you’re not here to suggest them, let alone implement them, there’s nothing to be done about it; we just have to let things play out as they will. Still, to that end, I suppose I should ask for your eye to be on me, your nudging hand on your friend, and a wish for luck for all of us, as we’re going to be needing it.