It begins with a smudge of ashes. It lasts 40 long days. It ends with the most important celebration on the Christian calendar. Lent, that is.
Oh Lent – how do we meet again so soon? And why do I always choose nearly impossible Lenten resolutions? There was that one year I resolved not to watch television. I didn’t count on Lent falling during the winter Olympics. I made my husband give me a rundown of Michelle Kwan’s short program as I stood in the other room. Let me tell you, Mr. Eisenman is no Scott Hamilton.
What to give up this year? Should I not spend “extra” money? (My husband will love that one!) But, really, what does “extra” money mean? Is it limiting Starbucks purchases? Holding off on buying the extra deodorant on a Target run? I’m not sure my husband would appreciate an uncaffeinated, deodorantless wife.
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Should I exercise more? Attend daily Mass? I’d do that in a heartbeat, but first Apple needs to invent an “app” that pulls extra time from thin air!
Trumbull resident Pat Hennessy will be focusing on her driving habits. “I give up racing yellow lights and rolling through stop signs,” she says. “It’s harder than it sounds, and it’s a useful discipline for someone who calculates appointment times to the last second.”
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What about change my eating habits? Mary Fran Lako of Tashua is going in that direction. She says, “I have a passion for good bread and will be giving that up for Lent.”
Laura Nemec of Trumbull is also using Lent to make healthier eating choices. “Even though I do not have a weight issue or any major health concerns I've noticed that I've been feeling tired, sluggish and a bit unfocused at times,” Nemec admits. “I need a kick start in my life and I think I can do this with eating a broader range of foods (a good balance) and limiting myself to those carb cravings!”
All of these resolutions sound hard. But, I guess that’s kind of the point.
I’ve always thought of Lent as the point in my faith when I become the phoenix; Lent is the funeral pyre meant to purge all impurities of my old self so that I can emerge on the other side, a freer, more refreshed, more loving person.
So what will my Lenten resolution be this year? I’ll let you know, as soon as I check to make sure all figure skating championships fall on a Sunday.
