On Easter Eve, several years ago, something interesting happened. My husband and I, returning late from a trip, spotted a pink footed, shadowy figure as it jumped out onto the sidewalk.
"Baby! Look!!!" Angel said, as he shook me awake.
Through the car window, I could see what looked like an over-sized rat with a stiff tail. Upon further investigation, I could tell it was a possum.
In amazement, we watched the little guy check both ways before crossing the road. Once on the other side, he padded from shrub to shrub, stopping to peer into the leaves... he seemed to be looking for something.
"What is he doing?!?!?" we laughed, as he continued his late-night mission.
"It seems like he's searching... maybe looking for food??" That's when it hit us: We were witnessing the first appearance of a lesser-known holiday character, the yin to the Easter Bunny's yang... we had discovered The Easter Possum!
EP (as we now call him), like his close relative the Virginia Possum, is a scavenger. While the Easter Bunny hides treats for children to find in Easter Egg Hunts, the Easter Possum follows behind collecting leftovers so no hard boiled egg or chocolate bunny gets wasted.
The "sighting" started a tradition of annual visits--starting with a bag of "trash" on my porch the next morning.
"That's weird," I said...thinking my husband forgot something. As I moved closer, I could see--this was no ordinary pile of garbage. It was a present--lovingly (though messily) wrapped--in a Hefty Cinch Sack.
Inside, I found an odd assortment of things: Easter Grass, eggs, bologna gum, and candy--all marred by tiny chew marks throughout the products and the packaging.
My Easter Bounty, it seemed, had been gathered from several different backyards. Beneath the sweets, I found this note:
Honestly....Can you imagine anything cuter????
Since then, EP's been back several times: sometimes leaving jelly beans; sometimes leaving Milk Duds; always leaving love and laughter.
Since I'm not eating sugar these days, I didn't expect he'd make an appearance this year. But silly me...that big rat is nothing if not resourceful.
Look what I found when I got up this morning...
My Easter Basket
Of course, I can't eat all of it (dried fruits are a no-no). But honestly, two thumbs up for effort. My favorite part was the note....
LOL. Hope you are enjoying your holiday.
Altered Today: Tradition, smiles, love for EP
I love this story! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Melissa | 04/24/2011 at 09:30 PM
Kathy, This is the best story, ever! I love it!
Posted by: Laina | 04/25/2011 at 02:43 AM
You, my dear, are a hoot!! And I love Lymesters w/a sense of humor like me! Kathryn is my name and crazeee is my game! That's my story & I'm sticking to it!!
Posted by: Kathryn Thorne | 04/25/2011 at 08:33 PM
Glad it made you smile, Kathryn. :) I'll be sure to tell EP you were laughing with him (not at him). He can be VERY sensitive. xoxox
Posted by: KTag | 04/25/2011 at 08:37 PM
What a wonderful story! I happen to be an opossum lover to the extreme. I used to be a wildlife rehabber and rehabbed many of these guys and set them free. But, I have been lucky enough to have 2 non-releasable opossums in my life. They lived with me indoors and were absolutely fabulous creatures. The funny part, is that knowing these creatures so well, I can TOTALLY see the easter opossum!
Posted by: Diane | 05/03/2011 at 12:14 PM
LOL Diane. We love animals. I can't tell you how many turtles, squirrels, possums, dogs, and cats we've rescued. Rehabbing is very demanding work...which means you must be saint if you've done it so dutifully.
Now that you know about EP, I can't wait to see what he brings you next year!!! Very exciting.
Posted by: KTag | 05/03/2011 at 01:03 PM