The Golden Egg
When I as a child, one of my family’s
Easter traditions was for my brother and I to look for the “Golden Egg.” We
first looked for eggs to fill our Easter baskets, and then the hunt was on for the
biggest treasure – the Golden Egg. What would be inside? Chocolates? See’s
Candy? A chocolate bunny? It was always a mystery what the Easter bunny, also
known as, mom and dad, hid. One morning, when I found it, the egg was hidden in
the washer’s cooling vent that opened outside and had a tiny covering where the
treasure lay. My gift? Five dollars! In the early 1970s, $5 was a good amount
of money for a child. It’s equivalent to about $37 in 2023. It felt like a
fortune to me. I don’t remember what I did with the money, but I remember the
fun of looking for it and my surprise and delight when I found it. I still
remember what I was wearing - white jeans with a short-sleeved pastel pink
shirt with flowers on the front. After the treasure hunt, my family went to
Disneyland in our new, yellow Volkswagen bug. It was a perfect day! It all
started with the good fortune of the golden egg.
I don’t look for Golden Eggs at age 59,
but this morning, on Easter 2023, I saw two one-year-olds searching for regular
eggs to put in their basket. Since they were so small, their parents coached
them to help them find and drop the eggs into their basket. One child was
satisfied with one egg, while the other kept hunting. The site reminded me of
my Golden Egg adventures and prompted the question, “What Golden Eggs do I
search for now?”
My eggs don’t come in candy or dollar
form. Although, sometimes, I get unexpected income and feel the delight of a
surprise gift. It’s a grown-up Golden Egg. Most of my Golden Eggs come in
different forms, though. Those are the extra-special treats in one’s life. My
trips fit the Golden Egg category, as do going to shows that I love, such as
going to a musical next weekend. This treat gives me something to look forward
to, and it’s an incentive for me to keep resting and taking care of myself so
that I can heal from current ailments and go. I don’t want to miss my opportunity
for this Golden Egg!
Sometimes, though, I don’t know what I’m looking
for, so the next hunt may take a while to emerge. I’d like to fill my life with
as much health, joy, and stability that I can, though, so I’m open to finding
that next Golden Egg. This year, I’ve learned about a new Golden Egg to
experience. I’d like to take some classes at the Lifelong Learning Institute at
a nearby university. I have an idea about what I’d like to take, but the hunt
will begin when the summer schedule comes out later this spring. I look forward
to finding what this new “egg” will be. I’ve heard others speak highly of their
classes at the Institute, so I have faith that I will enjoy mine, too. I love
to learn and meet and share in the learning process with others, so Easter will
extend to the summer for me this year. If I have a great experience with the
classes, I can take them more frequently. It will be an ongoing Golden Egg.
Part of the fun of the Golden Egg is the
process hunting for it. Thus, I look for new opportunities and ways to fill my
life with treats. What will come next? A new museum to explore? A new place to visit?
A new friend? It’s a mystery, and that’s part of the joy of the Golden Egg.
A former pastor told me, “Expect God to
show up.” It assured me that God would always be there to help me. Not just at
problematic times, but as the giver of Golden Eggs throughout our lives. The Bible
is filled with promises that have come true, so I trust that God will also
offer more Golden Eggs. I have no specific promise - only the assurance that
God helps to give me as much joy as possible. I just need to keep my eyes open
and receive such gifts. Thus, today, seeing the one-year-olds hunting for eggs
was a “Golden Egg” of the day. I already enjoyed walking on the sunny spring day,
but my joy increased when I saw the toddlers. It brought back the Golden Egg
memory. Several hours later, I still smile recalling the image of the tiny,
wobbly children on the hunt. I still have that pure, innocent joy inside me
which thrills at life’s pleasures.
By the time Easter 2024 arrives, my life
will have been blessed with more Golden Eggs. What will they be? Only, God, the
divine giver, knows. But, I will accept them with joy and gratitude.
Jesus arose on Easter and gave the gift of
eternal life to those who believe in and follow him. He renews our lives on a daily
basis, and part of this miracle is the Golden Eggs he gives. They revitalize
our spirits and keep us on the search for new ones. Perhaps a Golden Egg will
come tomorrow, perhaps not. They will come, though. It’s a Golden life! The
Golden Age was an imaginary time of “peace, prosperity and happiness.” It can
be the Golden Age anytime, though, because reality is sprinkled with such joys.
Thus, I go forth thankful for the Golden Eggs of my life. I hope that everyone
has days and lives filled with such treats. Happy Easter!
Golden Egg image -
CPI Inflation Calculator -
Online Oxford Language Dictionary
definition of “Golden Age” -
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+was+the+golden+age&oq=what+was+the+golden+age&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l9.6471j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
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