Thinking about the Meaning of Easter

Whether you are Christian or Muslim or not even religious at all, you can't help but see all the signs of Easter all around you.  What I notice is how colorful and hopeful this holiday makes me feel.

When I was a kid we went to church, I was after all born and raised in the south and going to church was at that time and place part of the culture.  What I remember most was how we always, no matter how low on funds we might be, and we were often barely scraping the barrel, my mother always managed to get us all, there were five of us girls, all of us, a new Easter outfit.  I also had three brothers but I don't think they cared much about new clothes.  So it was a new dress, new shoes, a  new hat, yes, we wore hats back then. My favorite was a yellow dotted Swiss dress, black patent leather shoes and a white lacy hat with yellow daisies on it, I even wore white gloves to complete the outfit.  I felt like the pretties girl in church.

Back then it was about Jesus rising from the dead and becoming our Savior.  I wasn't sure I believed that but what I did believe was in the idea of renewal and I still do.  Now when I see all the Easter colors and think about that time, I think of hope, of renewal, of things growing and blooming but I also think about the idea of resurrection and wonder what in our lives can we resurrect and bring back to life?  During the winter we may have lain fallow - not done much in terms of new growth or fulfilling our promise.  I like the idea that all of life is a life/death/life process - new life comes when we clean out and discard that which no longer serves us or the greater good.  So for this Easter season, why not think about and do something about what needs to grow in your life and get rid of those things that need to be eliminated.

I leave you with this quote, "We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden."  -Johann Wolfgang von Goether

Blessings this Easter and always, Lorraine