April 4, 2021 — Cardie Oma Hannlis received so many lovely greetings from Cardies this holiday that she wanted to share with you her own story of appreciating life and the loved ones in it:
“Growing up on the coast of the North Sea in Germany, Easter Sunday meant the beginning of spring and weekly bicycle tours for my family. My father had a map of the small off-roads meant only for hikers and bikers, from the ocean to the forest. On Easter Sunday, we would have a wonderful big breakfast with eggs we’d colored the day before as our table decoration. Then we would get on our bicycles and ride for more than an hour to a big meadow we loved. It was a half-mile wide and miles long, surrounded on all sides by beech trees with their light, near-transparent green leaves. The grass grew a foot high and a creek ran through the middle, and there were wonderful wildflowers everywhere. Really outstanding!
“Once there, my parents would find us the perfect spot near the edge of the forest where the huge branches reached out and made it possible for my mother to be in the sun and my father in the shade.
“One most memorable Easter Sunday, when I was about 10 and my brother Otto nine (we always felt like twins), we were exploring the meadow and discovered, within a high rise of grass, a nest of three little bunnies. Their eyes were closed so they must have been born only the night before — they were too small to even move yet — and their parents had gone out for food. We were absolutely flabbergasted to find them, it’s so seldom that you see newborns tucked away in the wild. Because our father had taught us never to touch newborns in the wild because the parents would then reject them, Otto and I just sat quietly together a very long time observing them. We agreed to leave them alone so they could grow up to enjoy this beautiful meadow that our family so loved. We ran back to our own parents, gathered our bunches of wildflowers to take with us and rode back home.
“This memory is from 87 years ago, yet still so vivid in my heart and mind’s eye. My ‘baby bruder’ is still my very best friend. It’s as the card says: appreciate this beautiful life and all those who make it so! I love that you have let me into your life, Cardies, and it brings me joy to share this memory with you. Happy Easter!”
What a lovely story! Thank you, Hannlis — you’ve got this joyous day off to a great start.
Absolutely heart warming and inspirational:) Thank you for sharing this story!!!
You are such a beautiful radiant light! Thank you for being you and for sharing your magnificent self :)
OMG, my paternal grandmother’s name was Oma! It is very rare that you see that name. Thank you for sharing!
This Easter story, being read just before bedtime in Alabama, offers a perfect ending to a beautiful day! THANK YOU, Hannlis, for remembering the bike ride, the meadow, the shade and sun for your parents, and the baby bunnies. You and your brother had been taught well, to observe the newborns but not touch them. Reading this after the violence in our country in the past two weeks reminds me that the good and beauty in our world makes the grief and sadness bearable. . . and gives us hope.
I love hearing her stories about my Papa and Hannlis when they were kids! I can picture them easily in the field looking at the newborn bunnies. Reminds my of my twin brother and I looking at various litters of kittens and puppies in our house over the years of our childhood. Thanks for sharing!