IT WAS FUN

Surprise, surprise, surprise! The egg hunt was a marvelous success. I was never really sure until it began. Attendance was down from our regular potlucks. That didn’t change the quantity of food. There seemed to be enough for everyone to take another plate full home, and several desserts.

I had put up several semi-threatening signs around the grounds requesting people stay off of the downstairs and out of most of the downstairs area from 10-11, and to refrain from using the front doors between 10-12. I expected someone to yell at me for blocking off some areas. I didn’t demand it and didn’t even get at the two who ignored the signs. Anyway, no one yelled. People began arriving about 11:45, brought their food in and waiting anxiously for the egg hunt. When I saw their growing enthusiasm I was shocked, shocked, shocked. Shocked! Did I tell you I was shocked?

I handed out the official, sanctioned Easter baskets (brown paper bags), explained the location where eggs could be found, told them quantity would not make a difference but finding one of the four special eggs was the deal. When I let them go, they were off. Only three stayed back and they had walking difficulties. You could hear excitement, laughter and a general scurrying around.

I told them they could keep the plastic eggs and the candy, but whatever they returned would go to a school. I hide 82 plastic eggs. I don’t know how many they actually found as one of the winning eggs did not come back. I searched for eggs that were not found and only picked us six. However, I never found the one missing winning egg. Three winning eggs were returned. I gave matted prints of their choice of my drawing to places two and three and a framed print of the one that is the most popular of my prints – at least around here. It happens to be one of my favorites as well.

The biggest surprise was the candy in only nine eggs was returned. They kept the candy. I found another six. I think since there is so little I will take the eggs and hide them for my grandkids on Saturday. Not much candy was returned.

After everyone had overstuffed his or her selves a resident came to say this was the most fun he had had since being here. There was a genuine sense of camaraderie. He mentioned that while it was a smaller group, people were warmer and much more friendly that usual. When they returned to their tables they talked about the search and where they found eggs. They compared finds. They laughed and talked to people they usually ignore. All of this was a wonderful side benefit that was unexpected. Another lady told me she felt like a kid again and had a wonderful time.

This is all I had ever hoped for. People pulling together and having fun. I’ve been working at this for nearly two years and this is the first real evidence that it happened. This is not the event I expected would pull us together. I am thrilled.