I have always enjoyed Easter Sunday. Since I was a young girl I can recall my mother buying gaudy, floral-print dresses for us girls, complete with matching sun hats. We all had the special purse to match our patent leather shoes, and even my little brother didn’t get a pass. A tiny tie with the matching belt, and brown loafers. We would line up for picture after picture, but only after receiving our Easter baskets!
I still remember the year my mom got me a life-sized poster of New Kids on the Block!
She always made our Easter Baskets a special treat, and if you begged a little bit she’d let you eat some of your chocolate rabbit before church. At least the ears.
As a child, I couldn’t wait for the Easter egg hunt and huge lunch that followed Sunday service, but even church was fun. It was nice to dress up (even if my mom’s choices of matching dresses made me cringe), and so many kids came to Sunday School on Easter Sunday. You knew you’d get a special treat from the teacher, and maybe an egg hunt after the lesson. The entire day was filled with fun.
As I got older, Easter changed (as far as baskets and bunny ears go), but it was still a day I enjoyed. As I matured in age, but also in my walk with Christ, Easter took on a new light. I understand the sacrifice behind the day in a deeper way, and my soul became just as excited to celebrate the day my Savior conquered death. Having a child made it all the better, as I anticipated creating traditions for my daughter and memories like the ones I had. But interestingly enough, my most memorable Easter to date is one where I didn’t celebrate at all, or at least not in a traditional sense.
Six years ago I found myself on Easter Sunday in a new job. To be home with my daughter more I had taken an RN weekend position in critical care, and that meant I worked every Sunday. Even Easter Sunday. As a nurse, I was used to working holidays, but this particular year it really bothered me. She was a toddler, and I had been excited to see her eyes sparkle as she glimpsed her Easter surprise. But she was sleeping when I left early that morning.