Baskets

I recently stumbled onto an alarming development. By this stage in life, I should be immune to the craziness of life in America. I am not.

When, I wonder, did Easter baskets morph into the size of wastebaskets and wash tubs?

I somehow had wandered into the seasonal aisle at Walgreens and was staring at a jaw-dropping display of Easter baskets on steroids. A large litter of Saint Bernard puppies would have fit easily into any one of them.

I imagined these behemoth baskets filled with chocolate eggs, jellybeans and peeps. Then I fantasized what a child who consumed these Easter sweets would look like….a cross between a Macy’s Parade balloon and a Pillsbury doughboy. Any group studying the causes of childhood obesity in America would be well advised to check the dimensions of these monster baskets.

I asked some younger moms I know if they are alarmed by the supersizing of Easter baskets. “Well they just aren’t for candy you know. They have to be big enough for the toys, too,” was the typical response. I guess teaching children to consume seven times their share of the world’s resources has to start early.

The best Easter with our children is forever lodged in my memory. We overheard our kids say “they always hide the baskets in such easy places!” Easter dawn arrived and we heard small feet patting around the house and exclamations of “it’s not here.” This scene was repeated for a long time and frustration started closing in.

“Give up yet?” we asked from our warm bed. We did toss out a few clues and the basket was located….on the roof.

Disclaimer: No child was injured in the fun of this basket hunt. Our roof was so low on the sides of our house that it could be reached by standing on a kitchen chair.

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1 thought on “Baskets”

  1. So true! These huge baskets are also filled with a lot of air from packing materials. And I’ve often wondered who today would be pleased with a huge gift of stacked boxes of holiday candy from Sam’s Club? …. BUT (always a “but”) a huge basket, carton, or shipping container full of Peeps is always acceptable.

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