Easter hats in springtime....

When I was little, spring was a time to rejoice. I have always hated winter, snow and cold are anathema to me, and I would look forward to spring with anticipation of the scents and sights that would fill me with joyful celebration. Budding leaves on the trees, flowers peeking their stems above ground, grass greening up - all are signs that the earth is coming full circle once again, and the time of renewal is upon us.

But for me, there is nothing more spring fever inducing than an Easter hat on a little girl's head. It is a sight I associate with everything I love about the spring, all rolled into one charming little display of hope.

When I was little, getting a new dress for Easter was An Event. It was so exciting, to be able to cast off the old winter outfits and don the new apparel that my mother would have sewn for me with her loving care. The dresses were always fresh and springy looking, floral prints or checks in pastel pinks and blues and yellows. I looked forward to getting new shoes, shiny white patent leather or perhaps even leather sandals to wear through the too short summer season.

The coup de grace, of course, was the Easter hat I would put upon my head. They were generally made of white straw, and would have ribbons streaming down the back to blow about in the gentle breeze as we went to and from church. I felt grown up in my Easter hat, special, different, because it wasn't something we did every day.

I don't know if there is anything similar for boys, but Easter hats have a draw all their own for most little girls. You can't explain it, you just have to feel it, that yearning for a beacon on your head that bears the good news that winter is leaving and summer is nearly upon us.

One time when my daughter was small, she must have been about three or so, we were at the store, and suddenly her eyes lit up with the wonder of something beyond special. She had seen The Easter Hat, with white ribbons, and she had to have it.

This was a ridiculous desire on her part, because she utterly refused to wear anything on her head, even in the dead of winter. Getting a hat tied under her chin was an ongoing battle, and she lost more mittens than most people have in a lifetime because she refused to keep them on her hands. Obviously, I was not going to indulge a whim for something she would never wear, and I declined to make the purchase.

Upon hearing no, her little nose turned red, as it always did when she cried, and her eyes welled up and silently overflowed with tears. Her little heart broken, she looked at me in wounded expectation that I would fix the problem by changing my mind. (There was, unfortunately, a fair amount of precedent for her faith in that outcome, since those watery eyes and that little nose were pretty hard to resist.)

We left the store with the hat firmly planted on her head, skewed a little sideways to allow for the price tag hanging down next to her face. It was part of the hat, she would not allow me to remove the tag. Proudly she wore that hat out to the car. (Fortunately, she did not realize the people snickering as she passed were laughing at her, not with her. Not that she would have cared.)

She climbed into her car seat in great satisfaction, not because she had gotten her way so much as because she was thrilled to be decked out in her new hat. Two minutes later the stress of the day caught up with her and she was asleep, hat still on her head, and tag still hanging in front of her face. It was a sight that filled me with an overwhelming love for her, and a wish that I could make all her dreams come true so easily.

I enjoy going to church on Easter Sunday and seeing all the little girls in their new Easter finery. They strut around the narthex with their parents, proudly showing off their new duds, frilly little dresses and shiny shoes topped off with a hat that makes them irresistible.

There are a lot of reasons to love having a little girl, but I would be lying if I didn't say one of them was dressing her up like a live doll in fancy clothes. Too bad it only lasts until she has an opinion of her own about how she wants to look. Which, in our case, started at birth, so that fun was short lived!

We celebrated her birthday a couple of weeks ago by indulging in that time honored mother-daughter activity, clothes shopping, as she spent her birthday money on much needed items. It is fun to shop with her, she has her own sense of style, and she is still not shy about wearing things her own way.

Sometimes, when I see a little girl in her Easter hat, I think about how lucky I am to have my own little girl in my life. She is now a grown up 19, forging ahead in her life as she always has, following her own path. I can't solve her problems with a new Easter hat any more; she has to find her own way now, and usually without my help.

But whenever I see a little girl in a her brand new Easter finery, I can't help but think about that moment when I could solve all of life's problems with a new hat, tag and all.

Happy birthday, precious daughter. Here's wishing you many more Easter hat moments to come....

Calm in chaos.....

It seems insincere to write a blog post about something as catastrophic as the situation in Japan, and at first I ignored it on that basis. I am a mere blogger thousands of miles away - what could I possibly add to the discussion? But like everyone, I am wounded for their loss of life and property. It seems even more insincere at this point not to mention this horrendous tragedy, as though it doesn't matter. Thus, in my own insignificant way, I send my support to those who are suffering as best I can, with my thoughts and prayers.

Crisis reveals character, both of individuals, and of nations. Japan is in a crisis of epic proportions, but I am not surprised to see their national character emerging as calm, measured, and confident. If this crisis were occurring across most of the earth, we would be seeing rioting, looting, shootings, and other violent acts threatening to add to the chaos of the disaster itself. Japan is giving the world an awe inspiring display of national self-control, and it's an example that is both impressive and needed.

If a country in the midst of one of the greatest disasters in recorded history can peacefully pull itself together for the greater good, then surely we, as a species, should be able to find compromise on lesser crises without resorting to threats and violence.

I am wondering, if this were happening in the United States, would we be rising to the occasion this way? Recent history says no. Rioting, looting, shootings and fear accompany every disaster. Every natural occurrence seems to be an excuse to rage out of control, taking whatever we can get, whether it is right or not. Anarchy has become so rampant in disaster settings it is now perceived as normal and inevitable; out of the ordinary when it doesn't occur.

I think the world needs to take a lesson from the Japanese today. Their extraordinary response, even in the uncertainty, and their focus on solutions, has given us all a vision of another alternative. Recriminations will surely come, but it will be an ideological bloodbath, not a real one.

My heart and prayers go out to the people of Japan, and I sorrow for those who have lost everything, especially loved ones. I pray that their national character will continue to remain stoic and calm. They are showing the rest of the world the possiblities, and it gives me great hope.

I pray for my children that somehow, they will live in a world like that.