The color purple ... and pink ... and yellow
Jim and the girls and I have attended the same church for many years, so it's the go-to place for Easter and other Christian holidays (as well as most Sundays in between). Easter Sunday usually means lots of pink, yellow and purple outfits will be in display, worn by little girls in frilly finery, moms and grandmas donning Easter bonnets. Even Dads and Grandpas sheepishly sport pastel shirts and ties, succumbing to threats subtle pressure from their wives.
That's what we usually see at Easter service.
At yesterday's Easter service, there was no sea of pastel, no Easter bonnets. It didn't seem that many of the outfits were even new. In fact, lots of folks were wearing worn jeans or khakis -- fairly typical of a regular Sunday, but not Easter, the Sunday of all Sundays.
It was odd. And a little sad. It underscored the fact that new Easter outfits weren't in the cards for anyone this year, not just my family. Despite the optimism sparked by recent unemployment numbers, it seems economic recovery has yet to become reality, at least to the degree that we all felt new outfits were a priority.
I know, I know. New Easter outfits aren't really all that important. We all still sang just as loudly, still exchanged customary Easter greetings, and appreciated the trumpets, Easter lillies and C & E crowd not typical of regular Sunday services.
But like so many other traditions of Easter that have fallen by the wayside, traditions I wrote about here, I missed the pastels, the bonnets, the little girls twirling in their fancy dresses and white patent leather shoes.
Easter just didn't seem as Easter-y as usual.
If nothing else, though, I keep telling myself -- and this is the optimist in me struggling to keep its head above water -- at least I didn't stick out like sore thumb this year. As I worshipped in my dark clothing, I fit right in, I looked much like everyone else. This year it didn't matter that I prefer basic black (dark gray this time, to be exact) to frilly fuschia, Pepto-Bismol pink or buttercup yellow.
Worthy of a hallelujah? Probably not. But the way things have been of late, I'm taking comfort where I can get it.
And I'm thinking that -- if our financial picture gets a little rosier in the next year -- I just might buy a rose-colored outfit to match, for next year's Easter service. In honor of things looking better, I think that maybe, I just might be able to do pastel.
And a bonnet? No bonnet for me, thank you very much. I truly cannot do that. Nope, no matter how sunny things get, you won't catch me in a bonnet -- for Easter or otherwise. Pink I can consider doing. A bonnet? No way!
And to that I can give a hearty "Hallelujah!"
Plus an adamant "Amen!"
Today's question:
If you could wear only one color of clothing for the rest of your days, what color would you choose?
My answer: Black. I'm not a depressed/depressing kind of person; I just prefer black.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Reader Comments (8)
RED!
I enjoy your blog and think "Grandma's Briefs" is about th niftiest blog title I have come across.
Thank you, Pat! Your comment was one of the first things I read today, and you made my day!! Thank you!
And I bet you look awesome in red!
Definitely black. It goes with everything.
Although, if I could wear various shades of any color, I'd go with green.
I'm with you on the casual turn the Easter Sunday has taken... I remember always dressing up in something special. Le Sigh.
I think I would wear .... hmmm, I love the fall colours, like burnt yellow and that sort of thing. So, i would probably go with that. As long as I could find it in a nice pair of jammie pants. LOL
Oh, that's kind of sad. Growing up, we were always taught that you wore your best to church as a sign of respect for being in God's house. Even if all you had was jeans, that was okay - as long as they were your best. Imagine my shock the last time I went to my childhood church and saw girls in tank tops and boys in holey (not holy) jeans. It surprised me that it bothered me so much, no longer being a particularly religious person. I know in my head it's better that they were in church than a lot of other places they COULD be. But still, it seemed disrespectful somehow.
I guess I'm going to go with black as well. But I do love me some red. Just can't imagine going head to toe in red every day for the rest of my life.
We had a very nice, quiet, low key Easter this year. It was just what we needed after working at the rental for the last 2 weeks.
I would have to vote for black too!
Since I'm a blue jean kind of gal, I'll go with blue, especially if I have access to all of the different shades. I like green also, but I don't think I want to be Ms. Greenjeans!
I'd choose a soft beige that would go with everything. Then, I'd sneak in a peach scarf or some multi-shaded beads once in a while.