Every year my mother made Easter dresses for my sisters and me. If she had one scrap of material and energy left, she would also make herself a dress.
We usually received a new dress at Christmas from my grandparents, and a homemade dress from Mom at Easter.
I have always loved Easter. I love the pastel colors and the flowers. As a child growing up in a religious home, Easter was very important to us as we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And of course, we got a real kick out of the Easter Bunny and eating all the chocolate that we seldom had a chance to consume.
But one of my favorite things was my new dress. When I was 12 years old and living in Pennsylvania, my mother had found some beautiful deep purple material on sale and brought it home. Using that material, she adjusted an old pattern and made me an Easter dress. It had short sleeves and was a simple shift with a ruffle at the bottom near the knee. I loved it... and probably looked like a stuffed sausage in it.
But since I loved purple, I was excited about wearing my new dress to church.
My dad, the pastor, had planned an amazing Easter celebration for the whole church. The morning would begin with an Easter sunrise service followed by a pancake breakfast and then a celebratory church service with special music.
Since Daddy was the pastor, and we only had one car, we had to go everywhere he went on Sunday morning, and unfortunately, the first event dad had planned was the Easter sunrise service. I say unfortunately because he had not planned on the uncertain and temperamental Pennsylvania weather.
In our mind's eye we always picture Easter as sunny, warm, with little girls wearing pink ruffles and lace dresses with white Mary Jane's while hunting dyed Easter eggs on the lawn.
But that Easter morning dawned overcast, cold, and snowing. For most of the people in the town, the power had gone out and very few had hot water. Thankfully, we had planned to have the pancake breakfast at the church after the sunrise service or no one would have shown up. So people had a way of eating breakfast as long as the church pipes weren't frozen!
As long as I live, I will never forget that Easter sunrise service standing behind the church in my new purple dress under my coat and freezing to death. Daddy had the bright idea of having the sunrise service behind the church on a hill where there was a cemetery.
I know what he was thinking. This setting would make us feel like we were with Mary Magdalene as she went running to Jesus' tomb and finding it empty. Since we were standing around tombs, it would be very effective.
Nope. It wasn't. It wasn't a bit effective.
It was freezing cold, snowing, there was no windbreak from among the short tombstones, and we were standing on a hill. Freezing to death.
I've never been so miserable in my life. And my father, who is 89 years old still remembers that sunrise service and hurrying through the scriptures to get us all back into the church. He still says that is the coldest he has ever been, and that includes the time he had to shovel snow from the church parking lot in Buffalo, NY, wearing my baby sister's rubber pants on his head because he didn't have a hat.
It was cold!
At breakfast after the sunrise service, I distinctly remember forcing myself to take off my heavy coat so everyone could see my new dress, but as soon as my impromptu fashion show was over, back on went the coat.
Many years later, I visited my sister at Easter, and we went to church that Sunday morning. I had on a new purple short sleeve suit, and once again, it was cold. I froze the entire time.
God has taught me a lesson. It's not about the clothes on Easter. It's about worship and celebrating with family and friends. So have a wonderful Easter!
But don't plan on wearing anything purple with short sleeves or it will be cold for all of us!
