remembering
Easter.
Polish style.

a new outfit.......hat.......gloves.......purse.......shoes
going to Mass, feeling pretty cool.
and returning home for breakfast of blessed food, in the Polish Tradition.
fabulous smells of kielbasas, veal, ham.......and pretty-colored Easter eggs
lamb butter
and, of course, Easter bread.
all prepared by my Mom
Easter baskets.....loaded with yummy candy from Sanders or Alinosis.
we each had our own basket, brought out each year and packed with favorites
.......a medium-sized chocolate egg in the middle, bunnies and chicks strategically placed with chocolate eggs in foil
and   j e l l y    b e a n s
Wally liked the black jelly beans
I liked it all

and then we would go to Busia and Dziadus's house
and the day was spent with aunts and uncles..........and cousins.....lots of cousins

time seemed to go slow back then, it was like being a kid lasted forever
but now, looking back, it was that 'blinking moment in time'
I didn't realize how special those days were, but I do now
and remembering them now makes me realize the importance of traditions
because celebrating traditions keeps us connected to family, to who we were, and who we are now

my parents have been gone a long time, but our traditions continue
they are different now, of course, but they are special to my girls and me
we prepare Easter food and it gets blessed on Holy Saturday, like it use to
and we join around the dining room table on Easter Sunday
and enjoy the feast and being together
my parents tradition continues
Allelulia*