When I was a kid, my two favorite holidays were Christmas and Easter. The candy at Halloween and Valentine’s Day was nice enough, don’t get me wrong, but at Christmas you got all those PRESENTS! It was the high point of my whole year.
Close behind Christmas was Easter. Now the obvious appeal of Easter to a kid is the Easter basket, crammed full of sweeties and tied up with colorful ribbon. Mine sometimes included a new plush toy--bunny, chick, etc.
One year I got a big old stuffed plush duck, yellow with a bright orange beak. The reason I can still remember that toy so vividly is because of the tragic way I lost it. One day, in a sugar-induced frenzy of some sort, I was swinging that toy ‘round and ‘round by its flexible beak. (Probably replicating a scene from some Tom and Jerry cartoon I’d seen recently.) Suddenly, in mid-swing, the orange beak tore away from the plush bird and the beakless carcass flew in a graceful arc, up, up, up…and landed with a splat in my grandfather’s tobacco spittoon. I never played with that duck again.
There was also an incident with my father accidentally stepping on my real-live Easter chick from the local feed store, but I still can’t talk about that.
The other great thing about Easter was always the new dress and accessories I got to wear to church. Whether it was “store-bought” or homemade, my Easter dresses were SPECTACULAR. Lace, ribbons, crinolines and all, I had some outfits that Joan Rivers and her homely daughter would have been proud to see on the Red Carpet at any awards show. And I always got new shoes and ruffled socks, a purse, and most years, a hat, to complete my ensemble. I was STYLIN’, y’all.
When I became a mommy, Easter became a time to dress my own daughter in seasonal finery and load up her basket with sweets and toys, and I relished every moment. Coloring eggs, decorating the house, planting spring flowers, preparing the Easter meal--I enjoyed it all.
When my daughter was about 13 or 14 years old I figured she might think Easter baskets were too “babyish” for someone who listened to Nirvana and wore black all the time. Broaching the subject of how old-is-too-old with her, I was surprised at her wide-eyed response.
“Mom!” she responded quickly, “I want an Easter basket until I DIE!!!”
This year, in addition to the usual joys of the season, I have some “extras” to make my Easter special. I will still plant something colorful. I will still plan and prepare a delicious meal for my family. I will also be performing our last matinee of “Steel Magnolias” on Sunday afternoon, and my now-28-year-old daughter will be in the audience. And this year, she is expecting my first grandchild! How joyous is that?
So to all my friends, I hope you have a joyous and blessed Easter (or Passover) season and a spring filled with rebirth and promise. If you can, come out to see my show sometime this weekend. It’s good, no kidding. Bake the ham, hide the eggs, celebrate spring, worship in your own way, but be happy.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go stuff an Easter basket.
One year I got a big old stuffed plush duck, yellow with a bright orange beak. The reason I can still remember that toy so vividly is because of the tragic way I lost it. One day, in a sugar-induced frenzy of some sort, I was swinging that toy ‘round and ‘round by its flexible beak. (Probably replicating a scene from some Tom and Jerry cartoon I’d seen recently.) Suddenly, in mid-swing, the orange beak tore away from the plush bird and the beakless carcass flew in a graceful arc, up, up, up…and landed with a splat in my grandfather’s tobacco spittoon. I never played with that duck again.
There was also an incident with my father accidentally stepping on my real-live Easter chick from the local feed store, but I still can’t talk about that.
The other great thing about Easter was always the new dress and accessories I got to wear to church. Whether it was “store-bought” or homemade, my Easter dresses were SPECTACULAR. Lace, ribbons, crinolines and all, I had some outfits that Joan Rivers and her homely daughter would have been proud to see on the Red Carpet at any awards show. And I always got new shoes and ruffled socks, a purse, and most years, a hat, to complete my ensemble. I was STYLIN’, y’all.
When I became a mommy, Easter became a time to dress my own daughter in seasonal finery and load up her basket with sweets and toys, and I relished every moment. Coloring eggs, decorating the house, planting spring flowers, preparing the Easter meal--I enjoyed it all.
When my daughter was about 13 or 14 years old I figured she might think Easter baskets were too “babyish” for someone who listened to Nirvana and wore black all the time. Broaching the subject of how old-is-too-old with her, I was surprised at her wide-eyed response.
“Mom!” she responded quickly, “I want an Easter basket until I DIE!!!”
This year, in addition to the usual joys of the season, I have some “extras” to make my Easter special. I will still plant something colorful. I will still plan and prepare a delicious meal for my family. I will also be performing our last matinee of “Steel Magnolias” on Sunday afternoon, and my now-28-year-old daughter will be in the audience. And this year, she is expecting my first grandchild! How joyous is that?
So to all my friends, I hope you have a joyous and blessed Easter (or Passover) season and a spring filled with rebirth and promise. If you can, come out to see my show sometime this weekend. It’s good, no kidding. Bake the ham, hide the eggs, celebrate spring, worship in your own way, but be happy.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go stuff an Easter basket.
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