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| This morning, this adorable Easter display was at our regular table. The staff is always thinking of us. |
The daily videos we’ve been posting will continue tomorrow.
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Please click here for those who may have missed the post with SW News Media’s article on our story.
Today, April 12, 2020, it’s Easter for over 2 billion people throughout our world (of almost 8 billion) as indicated here: “According to the 2011 Pew Research Center survey, there are 2.18 billion Christians around the world in 2010, up from about 600 million in 1910.”
But this is no ordinary Easter, not for children, parents, and families, who typically celebrate this spiritual day with prayers, attending church, colorful displays, Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, candy-filled baskets, big dinners, and tradition-making experiences.
In our old lives, this was one of our favorite family days of the year when we made baskets for everyone, planned and played fun games for money-filled plastic eggs and toys.
We dined on our homemade favorites, such as ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, whipped fruit salad (we called it “fruit whippie”), homemade buns along with many other side dishes, and desserts, including our favorite bunny rabbit cake I’d make each year.
See our post with some of our favorite homemade cakes and pies here.
Those days are long past, and we accepted that reality many moons ago. Our children have gone on to create their own unique Easter memories with their families and friends.
Over the past years of world travel, we haven’t celebrated Easter and have instead thought about the spiritual significance in our lives and our faith, of which we share very little here.
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| This morning Tom ordered a banana and received these four tiny ones, which are popular in India. |
(We always promised ourselves we wouldn’t discuss religion, sex, and politics on this blog, although we occasionally post photos and stories of wildlife mating rituals).
And today? In this challenging time of COVID-19 and worldwide lockdown, it’s different for everyone who honors this special day. With travel restrictions, social distancing, and the inability to gather with family and friends, this will be an Easter everyone will remember.
Sadly, many will remember losing loved ones who succumbed to this dreadful virus with great sorrow. And for those of us who’ve been fortunate to have avoided infection, we can all reflect on how fortunate we are to have learned methods to protect ourselves and our families during these stressful times.
We know the loss of work and income for many is devastating. Many throughout the world are struggling to put food on the table today and every day. This is heartbreaking.
And today, we need to pray for those families, for the families who have lost loved ones, for the families with members sick with the virus, for those struggling to recover from the virus, and for our safety from the menacing virus which is generating a tremendous amount of stress in people everywhere.
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| Although we posted this same photo on the March 30th post here, we wanted to post it again, offering thanks and gratitude to the lovely staff who kindly and graciously attend to our needs every day at the Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport. We couldn’t be made to feel more welcome, especially with so few of us here with a staff that far exceeds the number of guests. This staff has sacrificed time and safety in their own homes with their own families to continue working and sleeping here to provide exemplary service and security for all of us. |
None of us are exempt from feeling the brunt of this pandemic in one way or another. Our prayers are with all of you.
And, while we sit back in relative comfort, safe in the cocoon of this virus-free hotel, we are grateful to be able to have this place to live and the fantastic staff in the hotel who daily see to our needs with such good grace and dignity.
We also thank Marriott Hotels for keeping this hotel open because there are so few of us here now. We are grateful today and every day.
May your God, your Gods, your Higher Power, bless us all and keep us safe.
Photo from one year ago today, April 12, 2019:
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| Female kudus were resting in the shade. For more photos, please click here. |