All the Frills Upon It

Today was the Easter Hat Parade at Ava's school. It is the event of the season. Or at least of the week. All of the K-2 students are assigned a "buddy" from an older class and together they assemble the younger child's Easter hat. Then everyone comes on the last day of term for the Hat Parade. The students march around, there are raffles drawn and colouring competitions, and there is that general buzz of "it's the last day of school before break" feeling.

Last year, I remember the Easter Hat Parade lasting about 6.3 years. Roughly. I mean, I thought that sucker would never end. That may have had something to do with the fact that I was greatly pregnant, sitting on a hard plastic chair with a 3 year old Nate on my lap. So I anticipated it lasting forever again today.

But it didn't! Just over an hour. Who really needs more Hat Parade than that, anyway? And this year, instead of looking like an Easter egg myself, I got to bring my little baby chick with me.

Look at that little Easter confection!

And here is Ava in her long-awaited hat. Note the very serious hat-wearing posture and frozen smile.
And look at the expression on the little boy next to her! "You gonna take a picture, or WHAT?" That's L, in Ava's class--he is a real cutie.

After the Hat Parade, the principal thanked us all for coming, and encouraged us to go ahead and take our children home if we wanted to. I looked at one of the other moms sitting next to me and raised my eyebrows. "I don't think so!" I am not one of those moms that dreads school holidays, but why rush these things? She'd have more fun at school with her buds, anyway.

You might've guessed that for us, Easter is about a great deal more than bunnies and eggs and chocolate. Don't get me wrong--we enjoy all that as much as anyone. But if there had never been that first Easter morning--hope springing from despair, life miraculously triumphing over death, God Himself meeting us in our darkest moment--I certainly can't imagine what my life would be like. So while I'm eating chocolate and playing Easter Bunny this weekend, I'll definitely be thinking of that. And thanking God for God.

And let me just add this...I usually don't rant about things, y'all. I am not a debater--I'm a lover, not a fighter. I leave the controversial stuff to my brother Dave, who's so much better at it than me. But I just read an article yesterday and couldn't believe it. Background first, though. Each year, the Royal Easter Show takes place in Sydney. It's a huge, 2 week long festival, a carnival-like atmosphere with entertainment and rides and exhibitions. Sponsored by the Royal Agricultural Society, so there's livestock shows, too. Thousands and thousands of people go every year.

So, yesterday I read that the Bible Society of New South Wales was told they could not have a stall at the Easter Show. They had originally been told they had a spot and then were told that, due to the religious nature of their exhibit, they would not be permitted to participate. Because clearly, Jesus and Easter don't mix. I just have to say, I think this is utterly redonkulous. To be fair, the Easter Show management claimed to have "an unwritten policy" that no religious or political groups can participate. But no Jesus at the Easter Show? Doesn't that just seem a bit silly? Their stall would have been one of hundreds that people could stop at or walk on by. I was simply amazed that they were told they couldn't come. If nothing else, it seems like a bad PR move for the Easter Show!

I mean, when we went to the Chinese New Year Festival a few weeks ago, was I surprised or offended to see exhibits and stalls espousing traditional Chinese beliefs? Literature being sold along those lines? No. Cause y'all, it was a Chinese New Year Festival. Perhaps there might be some people from China involved in such a thing. We chose to stop at the stalls we were interested in and to pass by the ones we weren't. No worries, right?

Anyway, it's still Easter regardless of all that! I mean, I don't think Jesus is sitting at home all bummed out that he didn't get asked to the prom or whatever. So however you spend it, I hope you have a great weekend. And to all of you who have been emailing or commenting and asking after Becky--thank you so much. She is home now and doing well. We are so grateful for your prayers and sweet thoughts.