Holy Week, Easter Love

Easter week stirs up something in people. The flock returns to church with priests and preachers, getting busy. The colors of spring all about, and Jesus not hanging on the cross. Religion at its glory, and you know I like all the fuss. Some people need to be reminded. I love all the love, Easter love!!!
There is love, and love-love, then there is LOVE, LOVE LOVE.
Degrees of loving.
Easter brings back memories.
I should have known, when the person on the other end of the phone, said, "This is a blast from your past!" Oh Lord, was my thought, and then I listened.
One of my loves from my youth, church loves, wanted to meet me for lunch. Sure, that would be great, then I hung up the phone. Thirty years had gone by, maybe more, what does he want???
We had dated , off and on, from my 7th grade to 10th grade, at church!! All dates were in and about church activities. He knew I had school boyfriends too! It made sense to me. There was just one big difference, he thought I was "the one." What is the world is this lunch going to be about? Age surely has mellowed both of us, and he is now a minister, he has to not hold a grudge!!! He was the preacher's son, he was making plans for me to be a minister's wife, in middle school!! Maybe it's just lunch?? It's never just lunch!!!
We hugged, and sat to eat, trying to catch up in between bites. I held his hand, and told him, I realized that this was hard for him, and to just say whatever he wanted to say. He asked me if I could ever have been a preacher's wife? "Really?" me, organized religion, you made the right choice . He smiled. Then he asked me if I ever loved him??? "Are you asking me to marry you, now?" we laughed, but I knew his heart hurt. Of course I loved you, and still love you, and will always love you. He then said, " What degree was, is that?" I took a big swig of wine, and yelled JESUS in my brain, "Well, not Easter love, but love, love." This precious, sweet moment for me, was different for this friend of mine. Some closure was needed, maybe for both of us. We were both so grateful for having been in each others lives, and proud of who we had become. We hugged for a long time, and then he said," Do you remember when you put a picnic basket between us driving home from the beach?" NO I don't!!! and let's not dredge up anything bad. We both smiled, and I think understood.