I know I know I have a million stories to update , but this is a special week in our Christian calendar. The Friends celebrated Christmas, and Thanksgiving and Halloween and New Years, and of course Hanukkah. They had never celebrated Easter however, so this is my personal Friends Easter story. Three different religions will be represented here as Joey and the other Tribbianis celebrate Easter and in our religion the Tridium , The Gellers and Bings celebrate Passover, and in Phoebe's new age tradition. .. the passage of Spring is celebrated as well. So I invite you one and all to a Friends Easter celebration….
These characters are the creation of Bright Kaufmann and Crane….and also Bright Gold San for the characters of Alex Tribbiani, Michael Tribbiani and Gina Tribbiani…. I would like to ask Marta , David , and Kevin for one of them though ….please oh please can I have Ross?
The bright California sun shone through the drapes of Joey and Alex's large house. Joey had always called it his movie star home. Before he and Alex were married, he lived alone and tried to make peace with the fact that she was with Dean now. Alex came to her senses and within the month, her and Joey were married. She was now Alexis Julia Garrett Tribbiani. Her huge diamond confirmed that fact. She rolled over to spy on her handsome Italian husband. He had the same impish grin when he slept that Alex loved. It may have sounded trite and insulting , but when he used that deep voice and leaned against her, she loved it when he said his patented pick up line. "How you doin?"
Rachel Geller looked into the mirror and saw the dark lines under her eyes. She lifted her hair line and saw the gray peeking out from her blonde roots. Oh no, she had to cover that up before the faculty cocktail party this weekend. The pain of being an executive and also the wife of the chair of the department.
"Mommy?" a small voice echoed from the floor. Rachel peered down and saw her four year old daughter Emma. Emma clutched in her hands a pink stuffed bunny. She lifted her onto the counter in the bathroom and Emma watched as Rachel continued her beauty routine . "Mommy, what's that?" she said as she noticed that her mommy's hair was a different color. Rachel brushed her bangs down and then struggled to find an answer.
"That just shows Mommy isn't so young anymore." Rachel said embarrassed. "That's' okay. You will always be the young cheerleader I fell in love with." Rachel heard the familiar baritone voice behind her and smiled. "Thank you honey." She said with a smile and turned to kiss him.
Gloria and Nonni returned from Mass carrying palms in their hands. It was Palm Sunday and every year they would be given blessed palms to carry in the procession and then they would be shoved behind the ancient crucifix in the living room. Gloria went to the crucifix which was next to her row of pictures of her family. In a large gold frame was her oldest, her son Joey, the big television star. Then she looked over at the photo of her daughter Gina and her son Michael. Such a good boy and smart. A characteristic that was not shared with the Tribbiani line. She felt bad for the way she treated Gina when she found out she was pregnant. Jimmy had gotten her pregnant and then she felt the need to go to California where Michael was born and raised. Of course Gloria had her other daughters, Deena, Tina, Mary Angela, Mary Theresa, Cookie, and the others, but she wished with all her heart that she could spend one Easter with her daughter Gina and her only boy Joseph.
Monica had her list on the table. In characteristic Monica fashion, it had a bunny sticker to symbolize that it was for Easter week. The bunny made her smile as she thought of her favorite bunny, her husband Chandler Muriel. Growing up in a mixed household, Monica would celebrate Passover and then she would host a huge Easter celebration worthy of Martha Stewart. She was having a house load of people coming in, and she sat chewing on her pen as she wrote down each guest.
"Let's see there is Phoebe and Mike and their little baby, Rain. Ross, Rachel , Emma, Ben, ….. Mom and Dad, Nora and Charles,….."
"Hold it." Her husband said as he noticed the names of his parents on the list. "You did not say my parents were coming." Chandler said as he examined the list.
"They just called. Your mother is coming in from Paris and your father is canceling his Easter show…" Monica said excited.
"Grandma and Grandpa. That's cool." Erica smiled through her
"Yeah ." echoed Jack.
"I am not going to watch my father preen in front of a mirror singing I Enjoy Being A Girl." Chandler exploded. "While my mother wears a dress that shows her cleavage as she fingers her college aged lover."
"They are your parents." Monica reminded him. "And holidays are for family."
"Did you remember that after your brother pulled out his keyboard and played his composition Easter/Passover are they really the same?" Chandler gently said.
"I understand." Monica said. "But I want them here for the kids."
"Okay but if my father shows up in a Playboy bunny outfit , I am outta here." Chandler said defensively. Monica came over to the side of her husband. "Speaking of bunny." She wrapped her arms around her husband and hugged him from behind. It came to him . "Oh no no no. I am not dressing up as the Easter Bunny."
"But honey, you are so cute." Monica said sexily. "And you are a sexy bunny." She purred. "And the kids wouid love it." She said gently.
"No , why can't you ask the Holiday Armadillo to do it? He 's used to looking stupid." Chandler said. "And please tell me he is not going to do his lecture on the similarities between Passover and Easter again."
"I won't , but he has slides." Chandler dropped his head in defeat. "Alright I 'll do it. " Monica kissed him and smiled at him. "My big bunny."
Phoebe twirled around the apartment as her baby Rain was strapped to her back. Mike put down his briefcase and stared as his wife danced around to the cd.player blaring the chants. Candles and the smell of incense filled the air.
"Hi honey, I 'm home." Mike said in a sarcastic way, as he tried to be the stereotypical husband. As it was obvious, his wife was far from the typical soccer mom. Phoebe turned down the chants and ran to greet him.
"Hi crap bag." She smiled as she kissed him. "Today I have been serenading Rain with the traditional chants and dance of spring."
"Well I thought maybe we could dye some eggs and Rain could visit the Easter Bunny." Mike suggested. "My parents country club always has that for the kids."
"No it is Spring and I celebrate the birth of new life . Not that holiday." Phoebe expressed.
"Well we do have a full week. We are meeting Mom and Dad on Wednesday. The Passover meal is on Thursday at the Geller house in Long Island, then Sunday is Easter at Monica and Chandler's ." Mike recited their schedule. Phoebe nodded . Yes this would be important for her friends, who she also considered her family.
Joey woke up with Alex smiling over at him. "Hey honey." She said. Joey got up and then kissed his wife. "Hey honey, I was thinking. I don't have to film this week and your case load is light. Gina mentioned something about going home for Easter, so I was wondering.' He stopped when she looked at him.
"I would love to spend our first Easter in New York." Alex said with a smile. "Yeah baby, New York here we come. I 'm comin home."Joey exclaimed.
Tomorrow …. Easter preparations…
For those who are unfamiliar with Catholic traditions. Since Joey and the Tribbianis are Catholic, I am elaborating in our church that Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. The day is a celebration of the triumphant entry into Jerusalem by Jesus as he prepares for the last supper. The palms are blessed with water and then distributed to the parish members. The unused ones are burned and then used on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent the following year. The ashes are placed on the forehead to remind us that we came from ashes and from ashes we will return.