easter reflections

Today was Easter, and as such, I reflected on the Easters of my childhood growing up in rural South Dakota. Shiny, patent leather, black shoes. Church on Easter morning. Family gathering for "dinner", which my family called "lunch", because "supper" was "dinner". It was so important to have an Easter dress. One could always pick out where Grandma Kate was sitting in church by her strong singing voice. Tom Deadrick playing the organ. Traditional hymns. Never quite figuring out why the Academy church wasn't Presbyterian, yet they shared the same minister and sermon.

My mother had a creative burst one year when she hid clues leading to the treasure, verses the traditional Easter egg hunt. The clues were riddles which had to be solved in order to lead Kent, Gisel and "the little boys" (my three younger brothers were never called by their individual names...they were always referred to collectively as "the little boys") to the next place where another clue would be hidden. At the end of the hunt were large chocolate Easter bunnies. Hollow chocolate, which seemed strange in that the bunny looked so solid, but nevertheless, a chocolate reward for the wild Nachtigal kids.