I just experienced the worst day of the year. April 15 has always been a troubling day for me.

Maybe it’s because deep inside I am a procrastinator. Most years I don’t even owe additional taxes, although this year was a little different. Yep, good old Uncle Sam just socked it to me.

And apparently I’m not the only one waiting until the last minute. According to the Internal Revenue Service, 20-25 percent of all Americans wait until the last two weeks before the deadline to prepare their returns - and they were all standing in line with me at the post office this past Monday.

Everyone has a bad day or two throughout the year. But apparently there’s a new holiday of sorts called “Blue Monday.” While it isn’t officially a holiday, it does have the dubious distinction of being named one of the most depressing days of the year. Blue Monday falls roughly on the third Monday of January each year and is supposedly so depressing because of a combination of post-Christmas bills, the abandonment of New Year resolutions, low sunlight levels and cold weather.

I think the fact that the college football season is over may also play a part in this day. Not exactly a day that you would want to celebrate.

Everybody has favorite days of the year, too. Christmas is a big winner in my book. I never get tired of watching our children come down the stairs to see what Santa has put under the tree. Celebrating the birth of our Savior with family and friends is something truly special. I really like Thanksgiving, too, because of all the turkey and football crammed into one day. As I was growing up, my favorite day was always the last day of school. That first day of sleeping in and then getting to play all day and into the night was priceless. And July 4 has been a favorite day of mine ever since I was married. We’ve been celebrating with a family reunion for over 32 years, spending the week at the beaches in the Florida Panhandle.

Birthdays are always fun days. It’s actually one of the few times of the year when I can have my cake and eat it, too. Seriously though, age really is just a number. They say it is all about “mind over matter.” If you don’t mind, then it doesn’t matter. That is so true!

Some of my fondest days have been over the Easter weekend. Growing up in the north, Easter was always a time for spring weather (although we did have snow one Easter) and new beginnings.

I was confirmed in the church on Easter and I always had a new suit for Easter Sunday. Egg hunts and Easter baskets full of chocolate bunnies added to the celebration.

As I came to understand my faith more, I realized that all of my favorite days would be somewhat hollow without this special weekend.

Jesus’s life, death and resurrection is the essence of the Christian faith, and it is his redemptive grace and love that gives meaning to all my days - good and bad.

Easter is not just one of my favorite days of the year, it is my most important day of the year!

Happy Easter, my friends!