The Easter Bunny
Her hair was strawberry red and somewhat curly. Her jaw line was sturdy but her smile was infectious. She loved her birds and her plants. Her house was a jungle full of plants! She also had a condition. Simple words it seemed called congestive heart failure.
Every Easter she would go to the store and gather what every good bunny did. She bought up a few dozen large eggs, the dyeing kits with the little colored tablets and of course she also bought plenty of paper towels too.
Later that same afternoon, she pulled out her huge pot and began the methodical process of boiling those few dozen eggs. It seemed like time passed slowly as she waited patiently for them to be done just so. As each dozen was completed, she laid them out on the paper towels that had been carefully arranged on the counter. She counted them carefully as if it was important to know.
Next she called the young ones, her bunny family, to her. This was a procedure that they loved to share with her. As their eyes watched her every move, she carefully selected four or five coffee cups and set them on the counter. She then proceeded to add hot water, vinegar and one of those dye tablets to each one. To complete the preparation she put a wired “spoon” by each.
She carefully instructed her family in the correct course of action for dyeing each and every egg. This was to be done with precision, timeliness and not too much mess. Although, the truth was, it never turned out that way.
After all was done, she once again took each lovingly colored egg and tenderly put them back in the cartons from which they came. She then stored them in her refrigerator as she told her family that Easter was the next day.
The children then were shoved off to bed to get some good rest. She was going to go to bed too because church was to be in the morning.
The next morning, Easter Sunday, the sun began to rise with glorious light and a voice could be heard outside the bedroom doors. “Wake up, wake up,” she said. “It is early morning and the eggs are gone!”
As the young ones arose from their slumber and eyes not quite awake. She shoved brightly colored wicker baskets, decorated with plastic green grass, in to each of their hands. She pushed them toward the door even though they were still in their pajamas. Out all of them must go to find her precious eggs.
So, out they all went, some of them barefooted, all out in the lawn as the neighbors began to go by. She beamed as each began to find her highly valued eggs. She once again counted them to ensure all were found.
She took photos to mark the occasion for it was special indeed as it was not just her children out there that Easter morning but also their cousins. Oh yes, it was truly a family affair and those eggs must be found!
Once she was satisfied that all were rescued, everyone was hurried inside to dress for church. Each child had to be in better than their Sunday best because today was indeed a very exceptional day.
One might ask if that bunny had a name.
She did indeed!
Her name was Erna and she was my aunt.
Written by MR…aka Naila Moon on April 19, 2011
In Memory of my Aunt Erna Dunn, who loved Easter and made me get out on the lawn one special morning when I was sixteen years old.
