Memories of Easters gone by…

Easter, Resurrection Sunday is here, and as my memories of Easter Sundays in the past bubble up one by one I first see myself as a four-year old with a little white purse which matched my white patent-leather shoes and frilly white dress, black curls glossy from all the brushing my mother gave them, all while telling me as I squirmed in pain, “Suffer for beauty’s sake, Leenie.” Well “Leenie” wasn’t caring enough for beauty to have her scalp yanked out by her over-zealous mother!

I remember the Easter right before my brother was born that my parents were holding a revival in Charleston, SC. Daddy had rented a space in a trailer park so we could be connected to power, however there was no toilet in that little trailer so my mother, who was a very sick pregnant lady and couldn’t keep anything on her stomach, made use of the pot which my dad so diligently carried out and kept clean. That Easter I shared my Easter basket with a little boy that I was very much in love with and I am friends with him to this day.

The Easter I was fifteen there was a lady in the church who decided to make an Easter dress for me, oh how I did not want her to do that! She hauled me down to the basement of the church and took my measurements much to my horror! Wearing that dress was one of the single most embarrassing days of my life! I had no choice of color or material so when I put on that bright pink dress made of some sort of stiff linen, complete with a wide belt that had a mother-of-pearl buckle, I felt completely humiliated. It didn’t fit me well and all I wanted to do was to go back into that church basement and hide!

Fast-forward to an Easter Sunday that was so special, it was the day I had my one-month old baby girl dedicated to the Lord!

Now with tears in my eyes I am thinking of Easter nine years ago, as my dad rolled his scooter out of the van to go into the church I stopped him and took a picture of him with my mother, how different it is now as they are both in heaven with the Jesus we celebrate!

I am wondering what might change between now and next year? All I know is that the risen, resurrected Jesus Christ holds my future in His hand and I am feeling pretty well blessed right now on this Easter 2022!