The Buds of Easter,
Creating Memories of Spring
photography by Gabby Stephenson
It's the traditions surrounding a holiday that
many of us remember from our childhood. These rituals bind families together-- the food, the smells, the colors, the set Dinner table, what we wear, and all the season's offerings that fill us with sentimentality. Growing up in both a catholic and protestant family, I have memories of Easter-- Firstly, I remember my grandmother hand sewing our Easter outfits. I remember my mother dressing us up in pastel-colored dresses and suits then taking "special" Easter photographs. I remember sitting in church fidgety and impatient, then I remember the Sunday feast that followed....the smell of the Lamb roasting wafting through the house, the buzz of energy as family arrived for dinner, the silverware clanking while the table is being set, the lively conversations over dinner, the kid's table (a smaller version of the big dinner table where we all sad crowded in together), and after dinner the sports playing on television. I remember my mother picking the early spring flowers from the garden to set in vases, then potting hyacinths in dainty pots to perch on the windowsill. I remember the hyacinth's sweet smell, and that reminds me of Easter.
These kinds of snippets and moments in time stay with us throughout all our lives, and we pick and choose our favorites to pass onto our family. Today I found these photographs in my photo album, they're the first buds of Spring flowers. My daughter took these with her very first "good" camera on Easter Day about eight years ago when she was in high school. She loved to capture those images and share them. This reminds me of Easter.
Happy Nesting
XO Tamara
