Palms, eggs and memories

  Today is Palm Sunday. I have lots of memories of Palm Sundys of the past, warm memories. I remember helping with the splitting of the palms after they had arrived at the church. We would gather in the parish hall, the kitchen there had a large table used for food preparation but would be used to sort those palms out. As we unwrapped those palm fronds from the boxes they were shipped in, I imagined them coming from the holy land. I was surprised to see the return address was Tampa, Florida. I guess that is why so many New Yorkers went to Florida. We split the palms and placed them in wicker baskets. Later they would be blessed and handed out to everyone entering the church. We took them home and fashioned them into crosses. My mother would put them up somewhere and at some point, they just disappeared. To this day I don't know what she did with them. 

 Palm Sunday was an important day at church. It was the last Sunday for wearing those "church clothes" for the year. Next Sunday we would all be dressed up in our new Easter outfits. I got a new sport jacket every year, at the least. New dress shoes and slacks were optional depending on the current financial situation at home. Yes Easter Sunday was the first appearance for those new clothes. On Palm Sunday we were told the story of Jesus entering the city and what would follow. Jesus entered the city as a very popular man and that worried the pharisees. They were worried about their own power and influence over the people. They didn't want Jesus overshadowing them. Not everything was as it seemed to be. The pharisees weren't good people at all! 

 Then I joined the Navy and my church going days sort of went to the wayside. Palm Sundays came and went and all I had were memories. The grandkids came along though and began going to church. They would bring the wife and I some palms. I still bend them into a cross and placed them on the wall somewhere. They stay around for a long time, I may have some still. But now, the grandkids are all grown, going off in all directions. My daughter in law may go to services today and perhaps she will get some palms. I'm not expecting any.

 Now I could go to the church just up the street from me and attend services there. In fact there are several close by but they aren't my churches. I felt somewhat like a hypocrite walking in there. Religion and the practice of it is a very personal thing to me. It is something to be done with friends, those close to you, not strangers. I'm not comfortable with the concept of turn to those around you, saying good morning, shaking hands and all that. I'm not comfortable with the casual nature of todays services, the few I have attended. I guess you could say I went to church to seek forgiveness, and to say, I'm sorry. It wasn't a celebration! 

 That seems a bit presumptuous to me. Yes, I know salvation has been promised, but I have to keep my end of that bargain. That's why we dressed in our Sunday best, because we came as a guest. We sang when directed to do so, prayed when told, and listened to the preacher admonish us for our sins! And yes, it was very much about not doing wrong. That was the emphasis, not celebrating what you hadn't yet been granted. I guess the lesson was, don't count your chickens before they hatch. I think that may have been related to the whole egg deal on Easter Sunday too. 

 Enjoy your Palm Sunday and whatever memories you may have of that. Palms were an exotic thing to me as a child. I never saw any in their natural state, on a tree. I wasn't aware there were so many varieties either. After joining the Navy I was sent to Florida. There I saw palm trees! Some were called Royal palms, some were coconut palms, and others were simply palms. They were everywhere! They also harbored these huge bugs called a palmetto bug. They look like a roach on steroids! First time I saw one of those things I crossed the street. Palms were laid at the feet of Jesus, I'm told as a sign of respect and to keep the dust down. He was riding a donkey. Never heard were he got that donkey from though, I don't remember him ever having one before. Maybe it was a rental. Well, whatever the case may be, happy Palm Sunday.