by Tina Seymour Demoran, Esquire

The last month, I’ve kept my law firm open on an “appointment only” basis, done a lot of house calls so my clients can stay home but get legal papers signed, and am working with the court staff to make sure my client hearings are rescheduled as soon as possible. Court is cancelled until May 1st for most of my clients, so I knew I’d most likely be cancelling my June vacation with the grandkids to be available for makeup court days, or due to the fact that the crisis would not be over.

We’d also just cancelled our first vacation in two years, a cruise I’d planned for my husband’s April birthday.

As small business owners, we know the sacrifice it takes to keep our businesses profitable. Namely, we haven’t taken off more than a few days (even over the holidays) since 2018. Those vacations were sorely needed. Now, we see at least a year of long hours after this is over to ensure everything is taken care of when the mad rush hits for legal services and home buyers/sellers.

We normally have an annual fish fry to raise money for childhood cancer that usually falls in April, but we postponed it this year.

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and down. I’m not going to lie…I was also feeling sorry for myself as I was sipping coffee last Monday. The house was quiet.

My teenage niece is staying with us right now, as her mom is a home health nurse, and she was still asleep after a night catching up with chemistry homework.

This would be the first year since I opened my firm in 2015 that I wouldn’t be the Easter Bunny for a local egg hunt or picture day for kids.

I’d even bought my own bunny suit a few years ago. It was sitting in its box, and yup, again…I was feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Then, it hit me.

Why not bring the bunny to the kids?

I have a convertible and a bunny suit.

I have a 16-year-old niece who was bored and missed her friends and outside interaction.

I have a husband who can copilot or drive when I’m relieving my niece as the bunny.

The kids were going to miss the Easter Bunny this year…why not bring him to them…or at least as many as we could?

Last Friday, we rolled out at 10 am and covered three neighborhoods and visited an apartment complex and a daycare.

By the end of the day, I had cried every bit of makeup off that I’d applied that morning.

My niece and my husband, who have joined me in this adventure, aka The Bunny Crew, agree with me that this has been one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve had in a long time.

Seeing the smiles on kid and adult faces as we drive by and let them take Easter pics with the bunny (from a distance) is amazing.

In this small way, we are coping with the stress and worry about our elderly relatives and friends and family…even my grand baby girls were able to FaceTime with the Easter Bunny…and dealing with that sometimes overwhelming feeling of helplessness we all are experiencing during this time.

It’s not much, but for us…it is keeping us sane during these crazy times.

We have been blessed in so many ways, it is an honor to give back, even by just driving a bunny around, to our local communities.

This Easter week….why not look around you and be the Bunny for someone else?

Check on your neighbors, those with small children and elderly residents.

Say a prayer for healthcare staff, first responders, the court staff/judges/attorneys working hard to ensure emergency cases are still handled in a timely manner.

Say a prayer for our world.

“To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected. Luke 12:48”

Tina, Philip, and Annie-The Bunny Crew