Meditation on Easter: Day 2

When I think of Easter growing up the main thing that comes to mind is azalea bushes. It's not that weird if you think about it. Azalea bushes bloom right when it gets warm enough when it is Spring time which is right around the time Easter is celebrated. My granddaddy, who has been with Jesus for many years now, loved azalea bushes, well, at least I think so, he had about 3938494048 around his front yard and on the side of his house as well. And my mother followed suite, I feel like they were the outline of our whole house, at least the front and around our huge wooden deck in our back yard. Every Easter we would line up in front of them in front out our house and take a picture, and then after church we would go to Mema and Granddaddy's house and take a picture in front of their azalea bushes. I don't have any of these pictures, mom does, but I believe these pictures chronicled at least the first ten years of my life if, not more. After my granddaddy went to be with Jesus, which was around my seventh grade year, we moved out of our old house and because of all the care azalea bushes are, without granddaddy caring for them, his ones had to be cut back. But man, you should have seen those suckers in their prime. Beautiful bushes full of white, or pink, or purple, or magenta flowers. Bright as the sun, and they made for the best pictures with our new Easter dresses on. Speaking of Easter dresses...

That was another one of my favorite traditions. Every year for Easter me and my sister, Jennifer, would get to pick out a new Easter dress and a new pair of white sandals. Now, this was a big deal, because growing up in a large family not getting my sister's hand-me-down clothes was HUGE deal, and second it was a new dress (and as I have mentioned before, I have always lived getting new things!) . I feel like getting a new dress for Easter is a southern tradition that goes way back, but I'm not sure. It certainly feels very southern to get a new dress for Easter any way. And getting white sandals is SO very Southern. Because I grew up thinking, and still live by this rule anyway, that you cannot wear white shoes, pants, dresses, etc... until after Easter, and you must never wear white after Labor day. Funny, I know, but to this day, even living in Florida, as much as I want to bust out a pair of my white capri pants, I will not wear them until Monday of next week. Lame? Weird? I happen to like tradition and to me nothing is more traditional than getting a new dress on Easter, and waiting until Easter to wear white. I honestly can't remember the last time I wore a white pair of sandals, I tend to stay away from white because it washes me out a bit (even the color of my wedding dress was "ivory" I think, some kind of "off white" color, I really can't wear the color it washes me out!) I tend to wear some fiercer colored sandals, but maybe one Easter in the future I will by a pair for the sake of it...

All silliness of dresses, azalea bushes, white shoes, and tradition aside. I think Easter is the best time to by something new for ourselves and our children, if you have them. It teaches them (and yourself) the value of getting dressed up to honor God and to celebrate the giving of life and Salvation through his Resurrection. And second, buying yourself and your children something new reminds you of New life and New beginnings. Things that were given to us through our Lord's sacrifice and victory over sin and death.

So, I know some of the women are going to love this, and husbands will sigh, but women, go to the mall and celebrate this Easter by buying yourself a new dress, reminding yourself that just as you are clothed in a beautiful new dress, so Christ has clothed you in His garment of Righteousness making us beautiful to God.

Oh... and don't think I didn't forgot about the men... You see my brother's always got a new dress shirt and tie (the one time of year they had to wear a tie, all other times were optional). And if they happened to grow a lot from one year to the next they got new pants and shoes. So the men can buy something new if they want too! Happy Easter and remembering that God makes all things new!