Moms and Holidays

Easter has long been a holiday filled with rejoicing at our risen Savior while gathering together with family.  In my growing-up days, our house was fragrant with the scent of the Easter lily that we would be taking to church with us. This was a holiday where I wore a new dress, fancy anklets, and a bonnet to church. But before I could go to church, I would hunt for my Easter basket. Sometimes, it was hidden behind the doors in the dining room. Sometimes, it was in the pillow corner of the living room. It could be anywhere! It was fun to find the basket, filled with candy and probably a stuffed bunny. After singing those traditional Easter hymns in church (“Up from the Grave He Arose”, “HeLives!”, and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”), my family ate a big dinner with a delicious ham, and we all enjoyed being together.

One and a half year old me, on the steps of Fountain United Methodist Church

Here I am, out in the yard for an Easter picture in 1965

By the time I was 12, my brothers and their wives started having kids. Easter became a time to welcome little ones into the family home again. Easter eggs were dyed. My mom’s “refrigerator muffins” were made for breakfast. Many other traditions were continued, with Easter eggs or baskets once again being hidden around the house. My mom ran the show, but somehow she did it all without drawing attention to herself. The kitchen was busy with cooking, visiting, and laughter. It was love, lived out in family. Those were precious days.

Jessica always had so much enthusiasm for any project at Grandma's.

Ann patiently helped Sarah and Jessica with their eggs

Michael joined in the fun!

My mom has been gone for over 18 years now. I honestly can’t remember if we still celebrated Easter at Mom and Dad’s the year she passed. I know we were considering how to take some of the burdens of major holidays off her shoulders, but I’m not sure we were quite there yet. Holidays are holy days, and the message of each one was important to my mom. She made sure that message was not lost in the celebration. She fixed amazing food, all from scratch. She rarely used a timer – she just knew when her masterpieces were done. She graciously allowed others to take part in the preparing of the feast (and certainly appreciated the help). She was Mom, and she was the gear that drove the celebration. I miss her. I wish I had pictures of all that chaos in the kitchen. I do not, but here is a picture of my mom that I love.

Mom and Dad were always happiest under a pile of grandchildren.

Many Easters have come and gone since Mom died. I hosted a big, Arnold family Easter celebration a few times, as did others in the family. After a while, probably after Dad died, we decided to celebrate Easter independently, each with our own branch of the family. If I remember correctly, we had been inviting my in-laws to the Arnold Easter celebration for a few years, and so we continued inviting them to join just our little Troupe. Easter pictures became an essential part of the celebration, and we enjoyed some time with Les and Barb. Barb’s contributions to our feast were prolific and SWEET. She loved making us several pans of peanut butter fudge. “There needs to be some for them to take with them back to college,” she would say, and they would agree, no matter who they were. She delighted in seeing those smiles. When our kids were little, Barb had made them Easter clothes, and she definitely received many smiles and shrieks of delight in exchange for her labors. Those were precious days, too.

Easter clothes for the kiddos

Easter picture with Grandpa Les and Grandma Barb

Now, Les and Barb are gone as well, and this evening, Easters of the past are echoing around in my memories. It’s my turn, now, to make things work. I’m the mom – that’s what moms do. I thought I might not like the view from this side of the equation, but I was wrong. I love it. I love having my family come together to celebrate this Holy Day. I love maintaining the traditions: Jell-O jiggler eggs, K-bars, deviled eggs, ham, potatoes, and everything else. I love seeing my own kids involved in Easter church services. I love fixing the food and trying to fade into the background to just absorb these joyful moments – to save them so they can echo around in my memories with the rest of Easters past. Things aren't the way they have always been, but that is as it has to be, and as it should be. The joy of Easter continues, from generation to generation, and I am grateful.

This year's crowd - our family, minus Eric.