Why is Teaching Easter so much harder than Christmas?

For a few seasons now, I have been somewhat challenged by just how much harder it is to explain Easter to a child than it is to communicate Christmas.  I savor every moment of Advent, have trouble sleeping nights leading up to it, waking early late November mornings to make secret preparations, all fashioned to help open my children's eyes to the mysterious wonder of Christmas, Love come down.  But Lent gets me every time.  How do I walk my children through 40 days in preparation for Christ's Passion?   It's so easy and light to prepare ourselves for His Coming.  Lent feels so heavy, too heavy for these little ones of mine.

Frederica Mathewes-Green helped shed some light on my dilemma:  "[The themes of Easter] are not things children have to think about.  Easter tells us of something children can't understand, because it addresses things they don't yet have to know:  the weariness of life, the pain, the profound loneliness and hovering fear of meaninglessness."  ("Merry Easter?", Bread and Wine:  Readings for Lent and Easter, p. 269, italics mine) 

I love that.  It gives me a little space to pace myself.  I don't have to explain all of Easter to them yet.  There will be time enough for them to be acquainted with all the sadness and darkness of that Story, and how great the Light and Life is that comes after.  For now it's okay to let alone some "things they don't yet have to know". 

Our professional

Last night Kadie asked Briana how she came to choose "planting trees" as the theme for her 7th birthday party coming up at the end of this month (a bit of a diversion from last year's swashbuckling pirate party) .  She just shrugged and answered, "Cuz I'm a professional at my own life."  Dearest daughter of mine, may you always feel that way, in some underlying sense. I love you.