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Happy Easter!
				To me, it&rsquo;s always been a special weekend filled with family.
				I embrace the religious aspect of the weekend, of course. Having gone to Catholic school, I&rsquo;m very familiar and mindful of why we celebrate, but I try to incorporate my love of family into the long weekend as well, because all too often we aren&rsquo;t truly present when we&rsquo;re with our loved ones.
				Easter weekend allows many of us to slow down, to take a break and to take a breath from our normally hurried and busy lives.
				Some of my favorite memories are waking up Easter morning and scouring the house for hidden treats and presents.
				My mom put trails of cotton all around, and it was up to my sister and me to uncover all of the secret spots &#8211; bathrooms, behind couches, under beds and tables and beyond &#8211; where presents were strategically placed.
				It seemed like the Easter Bunny had visited overnight and left an endless supply of candies and small gifts that were just waiting to be found.
				How fun, I thought, was this Easter Bunny?
				He&rsquo;s thoughtful, sneaky and knows all of our favorite things.
				It was years later that I realized that fun bunny was none other than my mother. I can only imagine how much fun she had the night before deciding the hiding spots and planning out the pathways, before preparing for a big dinner the next day.
				Now, as we gather in the same house we spent Easters discovering cotton trails in, it is a lot different, but in a way not much has changed.
				We&rsquo;re appreciating family time in a more sentimental way than in the past. What was once all about gifts and goodies is now more about slowing down and appreciating being around loved ones.
				When I look back, I&rsquo;m forever grateful for the moments spent unwrapping as a kid. We had many laughs over what each kid got, whether it was me, my sister or a cousin. Uncovering what the Easter Bunny brought was always entertaining.
				Nowadays, I&rsquo;m more excited about the family time than anything.
				I wake up looking forward to spending the day with the people who matter the most. We have deep conversations, as well as lighthearted ones. We have some tears over those who have passed on, but also many laughs. We have very healthy whole foods for our main course, but sweet and savory desserts afterwards.
				I suppose it&rsquo;s that way on many holidays, for many people. For me, the calmness and sanctity of the Easter holiday has always calmed me. And if you know me, you know I need calm in my life to slow me down from all of the business.
				My hope is that everyone can appreciate the holiday and take a moment to slow down, take a break and take a breath.
				We all deserve that kind of time &#8211; this holiday and always.

Around Town: Take time to appreciate loved ones this Easter