Easters When We Were Kids

Easters in the 1950s were special times
One I remember
I was just seven
Too old to believe in Easter Bunny
but not too young to believe in Jesus

Thankfully, my disbelief did not prevent me
from receiving an overstuffed Easter basket
filled with pastel-colored hardboiled eggs
bright pink and yellow marshmellow chicks
oodles of sickening sweet jelly beans
and best of all
a tall, debonair solid chocolate bunny
whose ears begged to be nibbled and chewed first

Why just this morning I read
that two-thirds of all chocolate bunny fans gnaw off the ears
before devouring the rest of their bunny
As a true chocolate bunny affectionado
this doesn’t surprise me in the least

No Easter was complete without a special church service
Mom always noticed what she called the holiday church-goers
or those folks showing up only on Easter
to get a free Easter Lily, or maybe a cream-filled egg

The Easter service was always a little longer
since the pastor felt compelled to rattle on and on
about how the stone from Christ’s tomb was miraculously rolled away
At just the right moment
the congregation spontaneously burst into a chorus
of Hymn #322, Up from the Grave He Arose

No altar call on Easter Sunday
Pastor knew folks wanted to get home
to their sumptuous dinner of ham, scalloped potatoes
carrots, fresh-baked rolls
and of course a virgin white, coconut frosted lamb cake
Nothing short of the Rapture itself
could keep folks from that meal

An Easter egg hunt often capped the day
Back then, they were REAL eggs
and not the plastic ones filled with little toys
And of course, there was the usual oohing and awaing
about the daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths
which dotted the fence along the side and back yards

Easter was a wonderful holiday back then
even without any days off from school
Somewhere deep inside, you felt reborn
and that another winter in your life was behind you
That in itself makes Easter worthwhile