Dresses of Easter Sunday Past

The Easter season is upon us gain, albeit, a few weeks early than in past years. As we are busy helping our children learn about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are also posed with the fashion question … what will we wear to East Sunday worship services?

For some reason, our society is geared toward living life like some type of fashion show and church is the runway. In a time when we should be worrying about our Sunday school lessons, and living up to the Ten Commandments, some people seem to be more concerned about whether our shoes match our skirts, or whether our accessories are the most flattering. And Easter Sunday is the grand opening of the new spring fashion season.

Now, I have never been much into fashion. As long as I have a clean pair of jeans and my tennis shoes, I’m pretty much happy. But Easter Sunday means that I must, at least, make some kind of effort to look presentable. When it comes to my children, though, never fear, they were always ready for the season’s grand display.

When my three girls were all toddlers, they always wore lace and ruffles on Easter. They would be dressed to the nines … hat, gloves, lace socks, and new Mary Jane’s. Their hair would always be rolled in sponge rollers the night before, and then brushed and adorned with ribbons the following morning. Earrings, necklace, bracelets, and white shawl would always complete the outfit. I was always so proud when they received compliments throughout the day. It would give me that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

As my girls became school age, they began having more of a say in their Easter outfits. My only requirement was that the outfit had to be a dress or skirt, no pants. Boy, I should have been pickier! We have ended up with all types of outfits.

One year, Marie wore a sundress with large colorful flowers, purple shoes and a white and purple hat, not exactly my idea of an Easter outfit, but she loved it. One year, Amber insisted on a blue jean dress with her hiking boots. I held out for a long time on this one, but I decided, that in ten years, it wasn’t going to matter what she wore, as long as she was happy. So that Easter Sunday, she was a cowgirl.

Another year, bother the olde4r girls insisted on sleeveless sundresses and open toed sandals. They were so excited, but, you guessed it, it came about four inches of snow the night before. I let them wear their outfits anyway and I felt like the worst mother ever, because I knew they were freezing. But they didn’t complain, and they were so proud of their outfits.

My mother has a few baby pictures of me from an Easter Sunday long, long ago. I am dressed in a white and blue sailor outfit with a little white hat. I think this is one of my favorite baby pictures. At one time or another, all three of my girls have worn a white and blue sailor outfit for Easter Sunday. I think they are my very favorite outfits. They looked so cute, and they were not bothered by all that lace and ruffles.

I have long since given away the oldest two girls sailor dresses, but I still have Christine’s. She was only nine months old, and her dress was more blue than white, but she was just as cute. And instead of a little white hat, she had a matching headband. One of these days, I want to take that Easter picture of myself, and one of each of my girls, and frame them together as a memento of Easters past.

This year my girls are 17, 15, and 7; and it is hard telling what they will choose to wear on Easter Sunday. They are all head strong when it comes to clothes and they all three have very different tastes.

Several years ago I have in on the requirement that the outfit has to be a dress or skirt, mainly because I hate wearing dresses. As I’ve grown older, I have realized that God doesn’t care what I wear; he only cares what is in my heart. So as long as I try to live my life the way God intended, he doesn’t care what kind of package we come in.

© Bobbi Rightmyer, April 1999