Depending whether you are in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, the period over the months we call March and April are when our Spring or Autumn begin to happen.
Since ancient times people have recognized both Spring and Autumn Equinox as being special times (as well as the 2 Solstices.
So, historically these times have been seen as ‘special’ and therefore a time to come together as a family or as a religious group and a time to have a holiday.
Which can be make it a difficult time if for any reason you are on your own.
So what happens at Easter for me now?
Not being religious I don’t go to special meetings or gatherings to celebrate or to commemorate the time of year.
Except, I love Springtime.
Which all means that ‘special’ days like Easter don’t make any difference to me. I can treat myself any day to make it special by looking out at something wonderful in Nature, even on television or a video. I can read a special book. I can make myself some special food, or buy some to eat later.
On other people’s ‘special’ days I just enjoy my own company, do enjoyable activities, make myself some special meals, etc.
How did I become able to do this?
When I was first living on my own, apart from my dog, I often felt lonely. I got fed up, the days were long and I was steadily declining health wise. Going out to work helped. Then my illness increased until it meant I had to stop work. Every day dragged.
So I lay in my living room on a camp bed and watched the birds feeding off the food I was putting out for them. (This can even be done on an outside window ledge and you get a close-up view of your bird visitors.) I got to recognize individual birds. One greenfinch is not exactly the same as another! They seemed to have their own personalities (birdalities? avianalitites?) I had living beings visiting and entertaining me regularly. I began to look forward to watching them.
I was able to look outside my illness.
I would say to anyone who is feeling fed up and alone this Easter my advice is to start regularly looking outside of your illness, feed the birds and watch them, watch the clouds forming and shifting in the sky, watch the raindrops racing down your window panes. Listen to birdsong, listen to the differing sounds the weather makes outside, listen to music, or a comedy. Read books you like, especially fiction.
Do this every day, no matter what time of year it is
While being mindful as you perform the tasks you do to look after yourself, also spend time deliberately looking outwards. I am sure you will find, like I did, that there is so much to love out there it becomes a pleasure to have the time to be aware of it all and to appreciate it. I learnt to love my own company.
Which made it easy no matter what day it is to be with myself on my own (except for the whole world out there in my sight and in my hearing.)
Margaret Cory
Having been forced to stop working aged 53 due to CFS, I was later diagnosed with Fibromyalgia as well. (With the added challenges of hypersensitivity to chemicals, smells, various foodstuffs, bright light, noise, etc.)
10 years later I found the Gupta Program and started my recovery. Wanting to pay back some small part of what I owe the Gupta Program I later volunteered to be a moderator in the Facebook Gupta Forum.