Old School Easter

Easter was always an exciting event in our home. My mom would really go all out for my sister

and I! We would shop downtown Newark, NJ at Bambergers and then stop by her favorite hat

store and get her hat and we all had to have new shoes and white gloves for church.

It would always start on Saturday morning with hair washing and then a hot comb to get

those nibbly bits at the backs of our neck. I can stil feel that old straightening comb. Then

we would get in that big yellow kictchen and start the Easter Feast for resurrection Sunday. A big ol' ham, mac and cheese, and nobody could make it like my mom! I think she put her feet in it or something it was so delicious. Then candied yams and the collard greens. To wrap it all up homemade cornbread and her famous Pinapple upsidedown cake! Excuse me, I think I just drooled all over my keyboard at the sheer memory of our Easter dinner. It was something.

Mama would then tie our heads up to keep our fresh new do's just so! Every hair had to be in place. My sister and I would get up very early for morning prayers and dying easter eggs in lacy white slips. Fingers covered in beautiful colors and smelled of vinger. I remember watching how we would lay out our Easter outfits. Everything pressed just so and crunchy crindlens to boot! Patented leather shoes pulled the whole outfit together.

I felt like a princess in my new easter clothes. I was proud and posh if you will LOL!

When people saw my sister Coy and I come into church they would say, "Shirley and Coy's babies (My sister is named after our dad) Clean as the board of health." Never really knew if it was a compliment or insult. My mom was a cleaning machine and believed that we should always look our best. Most importantly was why we celebrated Easter in the first place. It was not about easter eggs or baskets or fresh new clothes, but rather that Jesus came and gave His life for His friends and that we were the friends that He did it for. My heart always and still gets overwhelmed with that thought. I wanted to capture the moment for myself and my others who had this expereince and this is what I came up with. Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays no matter your faith or not. Wishing your hearts love and joy.