Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.
This is always a somewhat daunting day for me. Most years, I start mentally preparing for it a week or so ahead of time: what will I give up, if anything? Or what will I do in addition to what I’m already doing? What do I want to get out of this season? To me, the week or so before feels like the week before finals. You’re studying and you’re preparing. You know there’s a challenge ahead, but with the right preparation, a great reward will come of your hard work.
Last year and this year present an added challenge. Usually during Lent, in addition to giving up sweets or something, I’ll try to generally eat simpler meals and no snacks. Being pregnant and then breast-feeding, however, make this a really bad idea (and one the Church does not recommend!). So this year and last, I find myself struggling to make sure I do eat enough, rather than holding back.
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I was just remembering a particularly tricky moment last year. No one at work knew I was pregnant yet, and I was discussing the Catholic take on fasting, as well as my typical Lenten observance, with my co-workers. I told the girls about how I didn’t eat between meals, tried to eat more simply, etc. . . . and then attacked my snack drawer as soon as they all went back to their own desks. Ha! At least this year there are no secrets.
If you observe it, I hope your Lenten experience will be fruitful. As anxious as the start of the season can make me, I find once I’m in it, it can be a beautiful time to rekindle my relationship with God.
Let the games begin!
What did you end up giving up?
A couple of things, to make more room for prayer and reading: The Biggest Loser–I spend waay too much time watching it on Hulu every week. And giving up sweets=giving up random acts of baking, which takes a lot of time, too.