mulberryshoots

People think of Easter as being a time of rebirth – after all, Jesus ascended from the dead; Lazarus stories abound and we’re all aware of snakes shedding their skin and starting to grow a new one.

What does “rebirth” mean anyhow, I woke up thinking this morning. Especially in America, it seems, we live in a culture where we are constantly trying to reinvent ourselves. We live in MAKEOVER USA. That’s fine, I guess, but is it really necessary? I mean, what’s so wrong with us that we have to keep adding to the patchwork quilt that we’re sewing together of our lives?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for makeovers. I love rearranging the furniture, for example. Especially when I find an antique table that’s nicer than the one I have. Or bring in a blanket chest that I have little room for but delights my spirit nevertheless.

Oh, and also hair. Women love to redo their hairstyle – or color it or wear it up or down, depending on our moods. But, I am getting far astray from the idea of “rebirth.” Let’s face it, we can alter our perspective about things, make amends and hold out our hands to others but we can’t really be reborn. Not even born again you-know-whats. I mean, you’re born and then you die sometime. In between, you can take shifts at different kinds of lifestyles and attitudes. You can change the way you look: lose weight or don’t, already.

We are a culture of changing ourselves because we constantly think that we need to IMPROVE. Well, that depends upon how much energy you have from doing the best you can when things are down. So, where are we? The French don’t seem to feel that they have to have makeovers all the time. Somehow, they seem to get it right the first time!

HAHA, so maybe we can resolve ourselves to do our best, whatever that happens to be at any given time and shelve the idea of improving ourselves constantly. Instead we can enjoy being bystanders of the entertainment world where making comebacks and reinventing image is their profession and life’s blood. Maybe ours is good enough. At least for today.