I don't think I wrote about this in my Storyworth book, but it is a big part of my childhood. I hope I can find the photograph!
I was born on Saturday, April 9, 1966. Easter was on April 10th that year, so my parents referred to me as their "Easter bunny." Somewhere there's a photo of me in pink footie pajamas with a bunny ears hat. I need to find that and upload it here!
Growing up, I loved Easter so much! The candy was a big draw, for sure, but I also liked the excitement of springtime, my birthday being in the general vicinity, and the drawing end of the schoolyear with the promise of summer freedom.
One of our family traditions for Easter was to fill four baskets with candy (one for each of us kids). Then one person would stay in the tv room or kitchen while the rest of us would close the sliding doors to block off the living room and dining room area so we could hide that person's candy. It was so fun! I think my siblings tried to make it not too hard for me because I was so much younger.
One of my favorites was to put white and black jellybeans on the piano keyboard. (My parents bought those horrible, overly sweet Brachs jellybeans. I don't think the many fun flavors and varieties existed in the 1970s.) I also liked putting orange ones on those orange yarn potholders. There were lots of "tricky" places and color matches that we strove to find.
One hiding place that I remember is the tops of the door frames. The very corner where the front door and the coat closet door are has a small gap between the frames. I distinctly remember putting jellybeans up there (with the help of a step stool) and hearing them fall down into the gap! Adult me is horrified at the thought of the ants drawn to all that sugar. Yuk!
Another yuk is the thought of unwrapped candy being put on so many surfaces only to be found and put into the owner's basket for snacking. But as a child, this was such an incredibly fun ritual! I loved hiding candy for my siblings and I loved finding my own candy. What a delightful memory!
As an adult, I love Easter best of all holidays but for an entirely different reason. Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice so that I might have eternal life. Forgiveness of sins, grace, mercy, love . . . that's the best Easter gift of all!
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