Happy Easter Bunny

Happy Easter Bunny!  

That is my new greeting at this time of year.  Let me explain why.

A few years ago we got new neighbours.  A young couple, new to Canada, moved in next door.  I have lived in the same house for 7 years now and for most of that time, have kept my head down as I worked outside sweeping the deck or shovelling the driveway.  

My primary goal upon arriving home was to get from the car to the house without making any eye contact.  Oh you should have seen the things I used to do.  

Pretend to be on the phone.

Drop my keys, several times, on the way in so I would look preoccupied, (and stupid I suppose...)

Carry bags in front of my face.

Wait in the car pretending to look for things if a neighbour was outside in their driveway.

It was all part of my old me, and while I would like to say it has vanished with all my work in progress, but it hasn't.  It lingers.  But it is not in control of me any more.  

I have actually been into my neighbour's house, will wave and say hello and even once, have purchased a snow blower with 2 other neighbours to save cost and share the work and  when youngest missed his bus and I was at work, graciously accepted the help of a neighbour who offered to drive him to school (which sounds like it was hard on me....gulp....)

Ok, when I type this it all looks so weird.   I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone and we all lived in each others' back yards and pools.  Somewhere along the line, my anxiety took over and I began to avoid people.

So back to Happy Easter Bunny......

The new neighbours from India were outside raking up leaves from their garden.  The Spouse said hi to them and they said hello back.  (He is not neighbour shy like me...which makes him normal...).  I suddenly found some reason to head into the house and watched through the window as the two men chatted over the hedge.  

Ten minutes later the Spouse came in.

I cornered him in the entrance way, "What were you talking about?" I asked.  

I don't want to DO the talking but I DO want to know what was going on.....sort of like a science experiment...what DOES one say to one's neighbour these days???

"Easter.  He asked me if we celebrated Easter, " he smiled at me.

I frowned.   Wow.  Now I was extra glad I wasn't outside when this conversation happened.  

I was Baptised in the United Church, for my grandparents, and had little experience in my adult life with anything "church" related.  For me, church inspired memories of the gym at the church where I was very familiar with Christmas bazaars and a group called "Explorers", similar to Girl Guides that I attended without recognizing it had anything to do with "church".

Otherwise, church was for milestone.  My ex-husband was Catholic and his dad's funeral was a lengthy stand/sit affair, in French (which I do not speak or understand), in a beautiful church in New Brunswick  and once, I had gone with the Spouse for a Baptism in an Anglican church, clutching oldest to me as the family paraded past to take Eucharist.

But as a nuclear family...Spouse, the three boys and myself....we do not "do" church.  I don't know why...it just never came up....

"So what did you SAAAAAYYYY?"  

"Well, I told him we don't really go to church and aren't practising any religion."

"Oh."

He removed his shoes and took off his coat, handing it to me smiling.

"But I did tell him we celebrate the Easter Bunny."

So there ya go. 

Happy Easter Bunny.....