Hello Everyone!
I hope everybody is having a wonderful week and staying healthy! Here in the US more and more people are becoming vaccinated and the light at the end of the tunnel seems brighter and brighter. I actually got my first dose of the vaccine this past week and although my arm was a little bit sore, I feel completely fine. I highly recommend everyone get the vaccine if you are able to. I am not an expert on vaccines, but I’ll link to the CDC’s website about the vaccine so you can read up on it if you have any questions about it. Personally, I went to CVS’s website to schedule my vaccine, but any local drugstore or grocery store with a pharmacy should have appointments for vaccinations. Hopefully that will be all the information you need before you get your vaccine. Now enough about that. We’re supposed to be celebrating a day of Easter Eggs and Easter Candy!
First let me quickly tell you all about the pieces I published in the past week. Last Sunday, I published a Weekly Blog talking about Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The Snyder Cut of Justice League was definitely better than the theatrical cut in some ways and worse in others. Really it’s just a very different experience overall. I recommend you reading that Weekly Blog if you want my full thoughts on the 4 hour movie, but be warned that it is full of spoilers. Then on Wednesday, I published a Poem titled “Chase The Wind.” It’s a short poem that describes someone trying to do the impossible task of catching the wind. Even when faced with impossible odds, we will try to do the impossible. We will chase the wind in hopes of catching it and we will strive to do what others deem not worth the effort. Finally, this past Friday I published a Writing Prompt Piece titled “Journey Across The Black Sand.” This Writing Prompt piece was actually supposed to be published last Friday, but I ended up pushing it because I didn’t think it was up to par with other Writing Prompt Pieces I published. So I went back and edited pieces of it and tried my best to make it better. Is it good? Well…I still don’t really think it’s as good as it could be. Sometimes you just have to say that a piece of content is good enough and publish it instead of focusing on what stuff could be made better. I still think it’s worth a read if you got the time and want to read about a woman’s journey across a mysterious desert.
As you probably know if you are reading this Weekly Blog, today is Easter Sunday for those who practice the Christian faith. It’s another strange Easter just like the one we had last year because the pandemic is still ongoing and still shaping how much people can gather in public. In preparation for this Weekly Blog, I actually went back to read last year’s Weekly Blog about Easter 2020. It makes me think back to last year when the pandemic was just beginning and I had hope that it would be gone by the summer. Now it’s Easter 2021 and although there is a light at the end of the tunnel, the pandemic is still here. Many people will be celebrating Easter over Zoom just like last year and putting off things like Easter Egg hunts for another year. Easter is a holiday all about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ after he died on the cross and the hope that comes with that miracle. The message of hope in a dark time is what I talked about last year and it’s a message I want to reiterate again. I know that we’ve all heard the phrase “in these uncertain times” so many times over this past year, but the truth of the matter is that we always live in uncertain times. If it’s not a pandemic, it’s war, famine, climate change, racial divide, political strife, and so much more. We are constantly living through history and it’s scary stuff. But we have to hold on to hope and let it shine when things seem the darkest. We have to look out for one another and be a source of hope when things seem down.
I know it’s not easy and this pandemic has put a real strain on a lot of people, physically, mentally, and even financially. The world will be forever changed by the pandemic and I hope that it’s for the better. I hope people come out of quarantine with a renewed sense of thankfulness for friends and family they might not have seen for a long time. I hope people fight for things like healthcare for all because we’ve seen how bad sickness can hurt people who are the most vulnerable. I hope that people stand up for their neighbors and communities because we know what it’s like to be separated and alone. I hope people fight for People of Color and The Black Community because we’ve seen how they have been hurt this past year in particular. I hope people also fight for The Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities who have been targeted by hate crimes during this pandemic and blamed for a virus which they did not cause. I hope Christians remember the words of Jesus when he said, “[…] Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39 NIV) We cannot let the world divide us and we can not allow our neighbors to be attacked and discriminated against. We must stand up and fight for the rights and freedoms of all people. We must show love and use that love to fight against hate. That is the hope that resides inside my heart.
I’m not a perfect person by a long shot and I’m not really that great of a Christian, but I do try to be a positive force in the world and try to spread a message of hope. The same hope that Jesus bestowed on humanity when he died on the cross, conquered death, and rose from the grave. That miracle is really what we are celebrating today and is the thing I’m going to be thinking about today. I know that some people who read this Blog aren’t Christian or aren’t religious at all, and that’s totally fine. I still hope that by reading this you know that I support you and love you. I still want you to leave with a message of hope and love and I wish you all the success in the world. This hope is not something for Chrsitians to hold onto and try to gatekeep. This message of hope is for everyone no matter their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, creed, or religion. I will always try my best to reflect that in the way I grow and support this community and the pieces I write. Hope and positivity are my focus and I hope to pass that on to you.
Thank you so much for reading that Weekly Blog. I didn’t really think that this Weekly Blog would go the places it did when I started writing about Easter, but here we are. I do want to wish everyone out there a Happy Easter if they are celebrating. I hope everyone gets a whole bunch of candy today and can celebrate in one way or another. I know that I’m going to be having another Zoom Easter with family and then celebrating Bunny Day in Animal Crossing. If you read this Weekly Blog and liked it, feel free to give it a Like. You can also leave me a comment down below about your thoughts on Easter or your Easter plans for today. I know that sometimes the subject of religion can lead to strong opinions being expressed, so if you comment, please make sure you stay respectful of others and their beliefs. If you really liked this Weekly Blog and the things I write, please consider Following me here on WordPress. We just recently passed 700 Followers and I’d love it if you joined this positive and creative space I’m trying to create on the internet. Following helps me grow the community and lets you know when I publish new pieces so really it’s a win-win.
Thank you again for all the support and I hope you have a Happy Easter!
-Allen_The_Writer
Header Photo Credit to Pexels.com
https://www.pexels.com/photo/eggs-on-a-basket-3979243/
Allen The Writer 