The Days of New Beginnings

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Since time immemorial, Easter has been a season of renewal, a time when nature starts over. It is a time when we trade the short, cold days of winter for the warmer, longer days of spring.

As with every Easter weekend for as long as I can recall, this year’s holiday was one of family, and a long, lazy, do-nothing weekend. As in my boyhood days, this rite of spring culminated with generous servings of country ham, green beans, macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, and other essentials of the season.

"Easter is the soul's first taste of spring." ~Richelle E. Goodrich

On North Carolina's Topsail Island, Easter marks the unofficial beginning of “the season,” although the true influx of summer visitors starts in earnest on Memorial Day.

Each year around this time, the island is reborn. But from now till the floodgates of summer open, there is still time to relax on a secluded section of beach or walk the Surf City bridge while a hint of a chill is still in the air.

For the fortunate few who live in one of the towns on the twenty-six-mile-long barrier island, these are bittersweet days. Economic realities mandate that we welcome the influx of vacationers and day-trippers. We must share our beaches, our quaint shops, and even the dive bars that make up this sliver of paradise.

"I still believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and true love. Don't even try to tell me different." ~ Dolly Parton

In the coming days, the island and the area will gradually swell, becoming more diverse and much, much, younger. Then we reach Labor Day and things go dormant until the next cycle.

But in the meantime, there are still a few days remaining for tourist-free bike riding and unimpeded walks across the Intercoastal Waterway on the Surf City Bridge.

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