Happy Easter

Happy Easter!!

When I was growing up, celebrating Easter was always momentous. I don’t know what was more exciting as a little girl, anticipating the church’s admiration and applause from your ability to memorize one of the “advanced” Easter speeches (you know with multiple stanzas) or showing off your Easter dress, complete with all of the frilly accessories and freshly pressed and tightly curled hair. Unforgettable are the years my mom made my Easter dresses. Picking out patterns and fabric, and her adding her own little “signature” details. I was about that couture life to celebrate Jesus! Like I said, it was a big deal.

I have zero pictures with the mall Easter bunny and honestly can’t even remember caring to take one. The excitement of Easter for me was all because of church. The bunny’s contribution to it all was negligible. I do remember Easter baskets that my mom made though, with treats customized to me and my sibs. I also remember the little pastel green ones my church gave out to the kids.

I am much (much) older and Easter is an even bigger deal to me now because I understand the magnitude of what we are celebrating. It’s the biggest deal there is. I still buy an “Easter dress” every year. I mean, it’s only right. I also still have to listen to Reverend James Moore and the Mississippi Mass Choir sing “Jesus Paid it All” at least twice on my way to church. That’s only right too, it’s a classic. By the time I get to church on Sunday morning my soul and spirit is full and happy.

Speaking of my Easter music playlist, that makes me nostalgic of a song we would sing in our church’s children’s choir growing up. Imagine a little ensemble of young children dressed to the nines in Easter wear, crooning in sweet melodic immature voices, “…they hung Him high, they stretched Him wide, He hung His head, for me He died, what looooove, what looooove…..” If that isn’t enough, imagine that little ensemble acting out those lines as they sang. Stretching their little arms out and bowing their heads to the side to drive home the point. Twenty something years later I’m sitting in church watching the little ones do the exact same thing. Oh sweet reminiscence. And that’s not how the story ends, cause in three days, He rose again. That’s love…

I have watched the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus in movies and church plays, and heard sermons, dialogues and songs about it, more times than I can count. It fills my soul with overwhelming awe, gratitude, and love every single time. It reminds me of how infinite, forgiving, sacrificing and powerful love is. Every year it makes me fall in love with Jesus all over again. It’s just amazing.

I’m hoping Ash will have the same Easter memories I have. This is his third Easter. I find myself emulating my parents. He gets a new “Easter outfit” and the meaningfulness of the day is celebrated at church. And he always gets an Easter basket full of treats. This year his wonderful Godparents made his basket with all of his favorite snacks. They also got him his first bicycle for Easter. So, Easter is probably his favorite holiday right now! I look forward to helping him learn his Easter speech one day. And we are always going to opt for the advanced ones!

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share some pre-church pics. Would love to hear some of your Easter traditions too!

I’m wishing you all a very beautiful Resurrection Sunday! He lives!