The advantages of size and might, as revealed by the Easter egg hunt...
A large crowd clusters near the glass doors. All are gathered together on this morning via the annual ritual known as the Easter brunch, celebrating the epic Christian holiday that commemorates resurrection and rebirth.
Outside, it is a sunny but chilly spring morning. Inside, the room is full of people preparing for the Easter egg hunt. Little girls dressed in pretty dresses. Boys wearing button down shirts and khaki pants. Adults happy with the knowledge that spring has (hopefully) arrived.
All of the children are eager for the impending hunt. They cluster near the door for easy access to the patio outside. They see bright plastic eggs splash vibrant color on the beautiful green lawn. The excitement builds. You can hear the murmur of children wondering when it will start.
And finally, the moment all the children have been waiting for arrives. The doors open - and the crowd spills out past the patio and onto the well manicured lawn where the eggs lay in plain view.
Only the eagerness has turned into a frenzy. Younger children are getting pushed around by the bigger children. In the adults who watch, a worry tickles the mind - that the race for the eggs may get ugly. The stampede may result in a trampled child. That the lovely Easter morning may turn tragic.
Such fears are not realized on this day, however. There is, however, another issue to address. The larger, bigger, stronger children are scooping up all the eggs. Smaller, younger, weaker children are getting shoved out of the way. Some of the smaller children look to their parents and wonder why there are no eggs for them. Larger children come back to the patio with their bags stuffed with goodies.
In the competition for eggs, size matters. With larger size comes strength and agility that give the older children a decided edge. Smaller, younger children are simply muscled out of the game.
Leaving parents to intervene, should they desire, to achieve a more equitable distribution of eggs. For some, the Easter egg hunt teaches children that egg wealth goes to the big and mighty. And for other families in attendance on this day, parental intervention that slightly changes the distribution of eggs is seen as essential for keeping the peace at home....
Outside, it is a sunny but chilly spring morning. Inside, the room is full of people preparing for the Easter egg hunt. Little girls dressed in pretty dresses. Boys wearing button down shirts and khaki pants. Adults happy with the knowledge that spring has (hopefully) arrived.
All of the children are eager for the impending hunt. They cluster near the door for easy access to the patio outside. They see bright plastic eggs splash vibrant color on the beautiful green lawn. The excitement builds. You can hear the murmur of children wondering when it will start.
And finally, the moment all the children have been waiting for arrives. The doors open - and the crowd spills out past the patio and onto the well manicured lawn where the eggs lay in plain view.
Only the eagerness has turned into a frenzy. Younger children are getting pushed around by the bigger children. In the adults who watch, a worry tickles the mind - that the race for the eggs may get ugly. The stampede may result in a trampled child. That the lovely Easter morning may turn tragic.
Such fears are not realized on this day, however. There is, however, another issue to address. The larger, bigger, stronger children are scooping up all the eggs. Smaller, younger, weaker children are getting shoved out of the way. Some of the smaller children look to their parents and wonder why there are no eggs for them. Larger children come back to the patio with their bags stuffed with goodies.
In the competition for eggs, size matters. With larger size comes strength and agility that give the older children a decided edge. Smaller, younger children are simply muscled out of the game.
Leaving parents to intervene, should they desire, to achieve a more equitable distribution of eggs. For some, the Easter egg hunt teaches children that egg wealth goes to the big and mighty. And for other families in attendance on this day, parental intervention that slightly changes the distribution of eggs is seen as essential for keeping the peace at home....
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