Chocolate Eggs, Pastel Dresses, and Celebrating Easter
I can remember Easter Sundays growing up in the ’60s. Waking up early for Sunday morning, looking forward to a big Easter brunch and an egg hunt later that day. And all the fuss my parents endured trying to get all five of us children spit-spot and ready for church. I have the snapshot of that day, squinting into the camera as my father took our pictures.
My two sisters and I are dressed in matching pastel ensembles: mandatory white hats, white gloves, and white lace-trimmed stockings. Fancy Nancy would have loved every minute of it! Me?…not so much.
Unfortunately, these dresses were not the most comfortable get-ups. They were nipped in tightly at the waistline (too tight, as I never had much of a curvy shape), and were made of fussy fabrics like organza or starched lace. Underneath voluminous skirts were layers of stiff petticoats that pricked the backs of my thighs when I sat down.
Church in those days was formal and seemed to last an eternity long. To me it was boring, something to be endured. Sadly, most of what was said that day was lost on that 6-year-old girl who spent the time gazing out the window at the beautiful spring day.
Looking back fifty years at the long church service, the discomfort of a tight waistline, and being poked by a petticoat is all I remember. But now it takes on new significance. I recognize now what it was to have a child’s perspective.
My memory of that day stands as a pinpoint along the sweeping timeline of Christian history. Generation after generation has marked that first Sunday morning, when Mary Magdalene discovered the stone had been taken away and the tomb was empty. It is the event that defines our faith.
Remembering that Easter from long ago jogged me into praise today. It reminded me that as I sat and fidgeted, distracted and fixated on chocolate eggs, the Lord of glory patiently waited for the significance of Easter to finally dawn on me a decade later.
I have been choosing my own Easter dresses for quite some time, thank you very much. (This year, it’s vibrant orange and made of comfortable fabric in a shape that suits me…forget the petticoat, gloves, and lace stockings.)
Like the child of long ago, I still grumble and complain. I still get distracted and fidget, fixating on things that are not important. And I often miss the opportunities to worship the Savior in those moments of stillness.
I am still longing and looking forward. Only now, I look forward to better things. Easter Sunday with family and good friends, sure. Celebrations full of laughter, games, and maybe even some chocolate eggs—why not? But mostly I am hoping to better appreciate the significance this sacred day.
This year, as we plan our celebrations, may the significance of Easter not be lost on us or our families. May the day be filled with joy and sacred moments to be still and worship our risen Lord.
5 comments
Patsy | April 6, 2012
Well said! We do get caught up in all the preparation of the celebration and don't spend enough time enjoying the moment! Happy Easter Cathe, Greg and Family!
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Eloise from Ventura | April 6, 2012
Amen to that. May you have a Blessed Resurrection Day.
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May | April 7, 2012
I remember playing outside with my friends and enjoying spring and all the celebration
of everything about Easter. Everytime I would run into the house to get a drink or a spoon
for backyard dirt baking, I'd catch my mom working on her Easter surprises for her children.
She would hide her projects on her lap and give me the most sweetest smile a little girl
could ever see. Easter morning we also would see beautiful new clothes laying out with our
Easter baskets, toys and baby chickens. She even sewed flowers on new white underwear.
For me this was a fountain of life-giving blessings. My mother gave so freely and with so much joy.
The fountain of life is real, friends. We draw strength from it. She did and now I do. -May S.
May | April 7, 2012
Sorry you missed the message.
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Sonja | April 9, 2012
I too love Easter. This year though, "He is Risen" has taken on new meaning for me. I am a woman who struggled for years to "get faith," never quite understanding that it's in His power, not mine. Recently I have been promoted to a new level in my life and at times it seems to be taking its toll. I know God answered a prayer and I know He put me where I am. Now is the hard part: staying put when I want to run! BUT, He is risen; He is alive; and He is in control of all things. I need to do what David did and encourage myself in the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to move in and through me. This Easter is a reminder to me that if I say and believe that He is Risen, that indeed He is and I have to submit all that I am unto Him. Please agree with me in prayer that it be so (that I surrender all). Because He is alive, then He is alive in me and He is the only answer. Nothing in my will will ever accomplish anything.
Happy Easter time to all.
God bless.
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Gracie | April 12, 2012
Hi Cathe-
Thanks for your insightful sharing of your rememberance of Easter as a child. I too, like you, as a child, was not very present for the real message of Easter, although my godly mother made sure we were in church every resurrection Sunday.
Now, that my mom is in heaven, I relish the meaningful traditions set by her. This year for the first time, I made the Mexican traditional dish "Capirotada" for Good Friday. I researched the meaning of it; always taking this bread pudding for granted. I learned about the symbolism of this dish, and pondered it as I prepared it. A loaf of bread torn into bite-sized pieces is like Jesus' broken body. The Latin meaning of the name capirotada-- is "cap" or covering, as what Jesus' blood did in covering my sins by the His death on the cross. After I made the dish, I shared it with my family and non-Christian neighbor who loves new dishes, and I prayed that it would cause her to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. God Bless.
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