THEY WILL ALWAYS BE LITTLE GIRLS TO THE EASTER BUNNY

The house is quiet and peaceful this Easter morning. It is unlike so many Easters before it, when I was awakened by the sound of four little girls giggling together, as they hunted for their baskets.  Two grown up girls spent the night, last evening, but their enthusiasm is much more tempered now, this early in the morning.  When their other two sisters arrive later in the day, the hunt will begin in earnest, as in days past. They will search together for their baskets, while forming alliances if they can; alliances which always dissolve as soon as they find their own.

Now that they are older, the Easter Bunny gleefully attempts to hide their baskets in more difficult places, and spends a great deal of time strategically placing them.  Of course, every year she leaves instructions that no clues should be given during the search, but this never works; the determination to proffer no clues diminishes in direct proportion to the whining. 

The baskets have changed slightly too, over the years.  The Easter Bunny now uses colorful Easter bags to hold the goodies; baskets are more difficult to hide, while Easter bags are flexible and can be hidden more easily.  What's inside has changed slightly, as well.  Since the oldest daughter is 28, the twins 26 and the baby 19, they don't have much use for the bubbles and sidewalk chalk that their baskets always included.  The Easter Bunny has a wicked sense of humor though, so instead, has given each a bag of prunes along with their candy this year, in deference to their old age.

I suppose some would question why the Easter Bunny still leaves these adult women Easter baskets anyway. The three oldest after all, live in their own homes now and the youngest is almost done with her second year of college.  The reason is because of what my daughter Jamie said to me one year, which the Easter Bunny must have overheard.  She said that no matter how old she was she expected the Easter Bunny to leave her a basket at her mother's house, every year.  I guess this idea, that a bit of childhood will always remain in the Valente girls' hearts, must have sounded very sweet to the Easter Bunny, because I feel confident that those girls will still be looking for their baskets every Easter, even when they have children of their own.