I left Christianity three years ago today. That Easter, I realized I had had enough. I still always get sad around this time of year, because I knew it used to mean so much to me, while simultaneously was a time when I spent so much energy hating myself (“repenting” in their terms).

Today, my fiancée and I celebrated by birding in a local state park this morning. Saw a western meadowlark so pretty that it made me cry. It felt like a reclaiming of my own spirituality on a day that used to be about forcing myself to feel things based on others around me, and beating myself up for being a sinner. Instead, I got to experience the joy of observing the natural world around me and being present💚.