The Easter Memory Parade by Bea Tifton

 I'm filling in for Caroline Clemmons today. 

I’ve always loved Easter.  The pastel colors, the spring weather before it gets so oppressively hot in Texas, the sense of renewal. Since this year Easter won’t quite be the same, I’ve been thinking about past holidays.

When I was six, we attended a community Easter egg hunt. I was quite small for my age and the bigger, older kids were eating my lunch as far as finding Easter eggs. I was getting quite discouraged and disappointed. One sympathetic employee was watching the celebration. He stood up and caught my eye, then gave me the subtle head jerk that meant, “Hey, Peewee, there’s one over there, to the right.” I was so excited when I found one. He did this two more times, and by then I was happy and moved on.  Nothing beats getting just a little help. 

 I have one picture of me in my Easter dress and I don’t look like a happy eight year old. There’s a big water spot right on the front. I spilled something on it just before I was supposed to have my picture taken and my mother was *not* happy. But no one would notice the water, right? 

When I was nine, I saw an article on one of my mother’s magazines for a rabbit cake. Mom and I made it together, with me doing most of the mixing, baking, and decorating. I was so darn proud of that cake and I loved spending that time with my mother. Note the forks are laid out in anticipation.

We could still have Easter egg hunts when I first started out as a teacher. It was always so much fun. Then one year after I became a librarian, the pre K Easter egg hunt got rained out. The enterprising teachers asked me if the kids could have the Easter egg hunt in the library. Of course! Three months later I was reshelving and found one last plastic Easter egg with some bubble gum in it. And yes, the gum was delicious. 

In prepandemic times, I would usually attend the Easter sunrise service, which is outside. Sometimes it’s a bit chilly, but it’s always beautiful. We meet in the Meditation Garden, and tea lights flicker around the seating area. An acolyte walks down the steps carrying wind chimes and the bells make an ethereal sound as they travel through the dark. As dawn breaks, the music rises and the air seems charged with an energy that’s unlike any other service. Then after the service we pile into the church for an Easter breakfast where calories don’t count. 

No matter what your faith or what you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful Easter and get some great Easter candy. I’ve heard Peeps are very popular.