Merging is a New Journey - Easter Morning Pancakes (Happy Memories Pt. 8)

I decided to return to Happy Memories again, at least for this week.  It's going to seem a bit strange, the picture I share this week compared to the memory.  But it was the earliest photo I could find on my phone when I started taking pictures to share on the Wappingers UMC Facebook page...many years ago (9 years ago).

Lenten Cross - 2/26/2012

But before the time of social media.  Before the time I was a leader in the church.  Before a lot of things, I was a member of the youth group.  And for a couple years on Easter Sunday, as a fundraiser I think, we would do a pancake breakfast that was held between the Sunrise Service and the Traditional Service on Easter Sunday.

I got to thinking about this yesterday as Pastor Jody was listing all the Holy Week services, including our in person Sunrise Service at 6am.  I haven't thought about the pancake breakfasts in a long time.  But maybe I'm reflecting on it more because my parents are getting on in age...and it was a time when I worked side-by-side with my dad, using his recipe for pancakes, making tons of pancakes for people to eat, and then later we cleaned up after everything.

One of the hardest parts, though, was that some people liked to help between the services, but once the regular service started at 11am, all the help disappeared even if there were still a ton of dishes to take care of.  I always stayed behind (with my dad) to continue to clean up...because, you know, no one in their Easter best was going to help us after service - everyone had to get home for a celebration, us included!  (Easter Sunday was always a trip to my mom's parents for dinner.)

But even with the hard parts, the great memory was making the pancakes and working with my dad to do so.  And being able to help in that way.

We only did this for a couple years.  And I remember the tired feeling.  Even though there won't be any pancake breakfasts and there haven't been in a long time, it is making me want to be up for Sunrise Service this year, so we will see how that goes.