Easter

As a child Easter was a magical holiday. I would dream of the Easter bunny as if he were real. Approximately three feet tall, brown and white, wearing a suit, tie and hat and carrying an Easter basket filled with the most beautiful eggs. I would imagine that he would plant them in our backyard and my parents would collect them to give to me. The basket was always hidden somewhere in the house and I would delight in finding it. The marshmallow peeps were always there and year after year were always discarded because I didn't care for them and still don't to this day. I knew there would be a shopping day close to Easter where my mother would buy me my Easter dress and hat and I would wear the finery all of Easter day. As I grew older the true meaning of Easter was taught through the church or other children and teachers.

When I had a child of my own I would continue the tradition of the Easter basket. Also the shopping for a dress was continued. My friends and I would take turns hosting an Easter egg hunt in our backyards. It was just as much fun to hide the eggs as it was to watch all of the children running here and there searching for the prizes of multicolored eggs. Of course the best to be found was a golden egg which brought in another prize of some sort. There would be cup cakes and juice for reward for all the children. Everyone had fun and became fast friends.

Of course we can't forget the time honored tradition of coloring the Easter eggs. I would always look forward to writing each family members name on the eggs, even the pets with the wax pencil that was included in the packet. I haven't found the wax pencil in packets for many years and now use a crayon instead. We have done normal coloring, a tie dye type and this year I want to try the onion method. I heard about this process many years ago but have never tried it until this year. Apparently, you take the brown part of the outside of the onion and heat it up. Some people put them in the oven but I will try the microwave method. After that you just place the onion skin on the white egg and it will make a design. I have an Easter basket that I place the eggs in and they look quite pretty on the table.

I guess at Easter you start to wonder why we were ever put on this earth to begin with? Was it to be a good parent, a good son or daughter, a good friend or all of the above. My guess is that we just try to be the best person we are capable of being and hope that is enough. Maybe just being the person you are at Christmas. People seem a little friendlier, a little kinder, a little happier. If we could just bottle that feeling and bring it out at certain times each year we all would be better off.

From our backyard to yours, Have a happy Easter and take a look in your backyard early Easter morning for any trace of that elusive Easter bunny.