1. I'm not even gonna lie... I've lost track of the days. I thought Easter was last week so I made a roast. This week it's gonna be ceremonial ramen. I mean... only so many days I can channel the ancestors for a roast. I'm sure they're busy.
2. As much as y'all's kids irk, I live for a poorly recited Easter speech. I especially like the ones where you know the kid has never been interested but were "told" to participate. AND All the mothers in the audience with small belts tapping on hands and forcefully mouthing demands as a traumatic reminder.
3. I will miss the misuse of songs during Easter services like "Now Behold the Lamb" as Jesus wasn't 30 and 3 years old. Jesus was old enough to have "Jesus the second", but folks still want him to be a baby in a manger.
4. I wonder if Jesus gets mad and palms his forehead like "And this is what I suffered for?!?" I know on a few occasions, he has been with me on a foolish mission like "I don't know about this one."
5. I feel like pressing my own hair in solidarity with the burnt ears and popping grease that little Ashley had to endure. I don't know why, but I want a half up/half down sister curl and baby hair special, but it feels right. Can't get no righter.
6. I will miss the footwork and passouts that would've surely happened if we were at church. Black folks have long kept the white linen makers in business trying to cover up slain saints. We've endured fashion fair makeup and Joop cologne on these sheets and still made it work.
7. I miss cookouts, buffets and large dining room tables. I miss houses filled with families, cousins out back on the craps ministry, other cousins outside with holy herb, aunties in the kitchen judging parenting skills, mommas walking into a quiet room to rock a baby, random babies laying across beds surrounded by pillows, teens out jumping double dutch, watching "The Box" and making up dances. This is the kinda gathering I need when all of this is over.
8. I would even settle for a long pre-dinner prayer right now. Aunt Kat's prayer to be exact. She could go. It was almost like the Lord and here were connected through the stringed cans. You know the kind of prayer where folks start looking up through one eye or stealing a "falling" dinner roll. I don't even care. Give me all of that.
9. I will miss all the folks like me who are coming out of backslider retirement to come to church once a year. (I've actually attended more online church in the last few weeks than ever before). But, I'll miss the crowdedness of parking lots and the sea of white that would've been worn. All the white lace socks and ribbons that baby girls will have on. And even that one parent that can't accept that her daughter is now a pre-teen who still does multiple ponytails. I'll miss them.
10. On a serious note, the resurrection of Christ is a story of victory of followers of Christ, however, it can serve as a story of triumph for all. Jesus was woke, he hung out with imperfect people, he called out hypocrisy. Believer or not, we can all learn from the example of Love. To love someone enough to sacrifice yourself is something I see a lot of folks do. Parents, partners, families, etc. That's love.
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