Happy Easter! Joy and Sadness.

Basket of Memories

               My sister-in-law Janice had six children. Biff, Earnie, David, Tempy, Mary, and Kelly. The oldest, Biff was only six years younger than myself.

            When I was around ten, I spent a lot of time at their home. They just lived across the street. Janice often helped me with my schoolwork, especially spelling. I had been held back in school due to illness and my spelling was not up to par. She must have done a good job because I won spelling bee’s the following year. I still have a love of words. Reading and writing are a passion of mine.

            Every April I helped Janice make her children Easter eggs for their baskets. It was fun filling the baskets with straw and placing all the eggs and candies around them.

            Every year Janice made an extra basket for me. I always delighted in receiving that basket as I got the best of both ends, the making and the receiving.

            It became a tradition for Janice to make me a basket, even after I was married. Sometimes she would bring it herself or have someone else so it. Sometimes I found it hanging on my door handle outside. It happening only once a year, It almost always surprised me.

            One Easter I could not find a basket. Not even on the door handle. My wife and I both looked, but there was none. We thought for a while, then an idea came to us. Since the young newspaper boy had delivered the paper earlier, maybe he thought it was for him. We called his mom, and
 sure enough, he had taken it for an Easter gift. His mom made him return it. But we felt bad and made a new one for him.

            Opportunities in Dallas caused Vicky, our two children and I, to move to Texas. The experience was scary for us having never lived so far from home. We experienced culture shock. Everything was different. The highways and heavy traffic were hard to get used to. I wanted everyone to feel better so I acted as though it was not a problem for me but I felt the same way.

            One day a package arrived at our door. It was a big brown box with some weight to it. We opened it quickly and found an bright yellow, orange and blue Easter basket from Janice. Her thoughtfulness had found me over a thousand miles away. We laughed and felt a feeling of warmth at receiving such and nice surprise.

            I knew then I could not outrun my Easter basket or my fond memories. They would follow me wherever went.

            We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ again this year. The kids are gone now. The wife and I went to church as usual. Afterwards we went home and had lunch. We were watching television when a knock sounded at the door. I thought it might be our daughter stopping by. When I opened it, there stood Janice, basket in hand. She hadn’t been well so her grandson drove her. She hadn’t forgotten. She never did.

            Janice and I made a great team way back then, making Easter baskets. She was a young mother, and I her very young protégé.

            Some of the things I learned from Janice are, to be more thoughtful and caring of others. To love words, and a kind way of using them. How through good times and bad, no matter how far you may roam, the awesome ability a kind, thoughtful caring person has to lift your spirits.      Most of all she taught me that it's not about the basket or candy, it's about Gods love. What Jesus did for us, and how we should treat each other.  By their fruit you will know them. By their baskets too.

            Janice died January 26, 2016. Now Easter will bring a tear instead of a basket.  And you know, it’s not the baskets I will miss, it’s my dear thoughtful friend. One of the few people in the whole wide world, who cared enough, she made a point to show it.

            Thank God for people who are not afraid to show they care! Thank you Jan. I miss you.

I will post a poem written for Janice on Easter.

"The Old Empty Basket"

PS: Please share your thoughts with me.
Here, or write JerryCorbinPM@gmail.com .