Memories of Easter
With Easter this week, my thoughts have ventured to Easter’s past. And, while I now love the Easter feast and all the wonderful food associated with it, my childhood memories involve egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, and Easter frocks.
Egg hunts were so great. I have always loved the feel of fresh new grass in the spring, along with sprouting bulb flowers. It seems eggs, fresh grass, and budding flowers are synonymous with Easter in my mind. I could not wait for the meal to be over, in order to begin an afternoon of egg hunting with my cousins. Hunt after hunt, we would slide our hands through the fresh grass and flowers to find the colorful eggs. Holes in trees, tree stumps, bushes, flower pots, and smoke houses were also great hiding places at my Grandparents’ house. We never had prizes, just a natural thrill for each egg that was discovered. The Saturday before had produced chocolate bunny prizes at the annual Easter egg hunt at church; if you were lucky enough to win, the Easter Bunny did not make an appearance at my house, and I think that was good, as I would have feared a giant bunny hopping outside my house and been panic stricken at the thought of him coming inside. But we always got a chocolate bunny, just in case we had not won the one at church.
Easter Sunday was always a time for sporting a new outfit for church. My Mother was an excellent seamstress and created not only a new dress, but a matching coat to boot, for me, my sister, and herself. She even made a pocketbook out of an oatmeal container and fabric to match our dress and coat. New socks with lace accompanied a brand new pair of patent Mary Jane shoes, usually white, as black patent was worn in the fall and winter months. We looked stunning, or at least we thought so. And how could I ever forget the smell of the new shoes? I would smell of them as long as allowed before putting them on for church. My mother continued this tradition even as we became adults with children of our own. Of course, the grandchildren were blessed with Easter outfits, as well. Selecting from a variety of fabrics purchased to create her masterpieces, standing for pattern fittings to personalize the pattern to fit our desires, and later trying on sleeves or other parts of the creation has special memories for me. A final fitting and hem adjustment and it was done… and we felt loved and beautiful!
I love my memories and miss my wonderful Mother that made them possible. Wishing you an Easter filled with love, joy and remembrance of Christ.
