The tomb is empty

My earliest memory of Easter Sunday is when I was around 7, 8, or probably 9. I got up at the crack of dawn to watch the “Salubong,” a procession depicting the meeting of the Risen Christ and Mother Mary. I envied the girl who was my age and was picked to play the part of the angel. I have wanted to get dressed up as an angel too.

Another fond Easter memory was during the first year of my stay with my aunt and uncle in Pandacan, Manila. When Mama migrated to Canada, she left sis and me under the care of aunt and uncle. The day before Easter, Uncle painted the empty eggshells and the following morning hid them around the house while the rest of us went to church. He put peso bills inside the eggshells. Even Nena, our helper, found one with a five-peso bill out in back in the laundry area.

This Easter, I put candies inside coloured plastic eggs. I scattered them around the house for my kids to collect and I gave some to my nephews and nieces.

We went to church this morning. The purple drapes that covered the windows of St. A. were brought down. Instead, white sheer sheets with gold stripes hung by the windows. Even the purple sheet that draped the leafless tree on the altar was replaced by multi-coloured paper butterflies, which were made by the catechism classes, including RK’s. More folded paper butterflies hung above the altar, which was decorated with white carnations and white lilies in pots covered with shiny gold paper.

After mass, we all had lunch at sis’ place.

The long weekend has allowed me to relax, catch up on some zzz’s and watch a few movies on DVD. No, I wasn’t able to catch up on any reading. I have just been too preoccupied lately that I haven’t been able to sit on a book. I have three books in my shelf waiting to be read. The last time I read a book was 4 or 5 months ago. I miss reading my books!