The Lenten Season

Many people know what "Lent," is but it still amazes me to hear people talk about what they're giving up for "Lint." It makes you question if people REALLY know what Lent is about. Some think it is a time to give up luxury things, bad habits, or change things to make them a better person, which makes them closer to God. I recently read an article about how people today are giving up things for Lent like fast food, chocolate, candy, etc. But how giving up things for Lent is supposed to make you closer to God. But if this is testing your limits, teaching you to not give into temptation, or even making you a healthier person, I'd say God appreciates that...

Some people use Lent to start over their failed New Year's Resolution. I am not one to have New Year's Resolutions because I think you should constantly be reevaluating your goals and trying to better yourself. But I ALWAYS take part in Lent. Being raised Catholic and going to Catholic school, you re-learn about these seasons every year, so you NEVER forget them. :) I've given up a variety of different things for Lent. Last year I gave up drinking alcohol, which I thought would be a challenege because it is so much of a social thing today. I was successful and didn't drink or cheat... not even ONCE! What made it so much easier was me AND my best friends/roommates gave up drinking TOGETHER. So, this year I thought I could do it again, but I've already done it...so what should I do?

Now, if you know me AT ALL, you know there are 3 things in life I can't live without...

1. Diet Coke (morning, daytime, night time... ANYTIME)
2. Candy (morning, daytime, night time... ANYTIME)
3. Goldfish crackers (morning, daytime, night time... ANYTIME)

Not only do I look like I'm a 10 year old, but I have been known to eat like a 10 year old. It's quite embarassing when someone goes through your kitchen to look for a fork or spoon and opens the wrong drawer.... THE CANDY drawer! I did a lot of going back and forth trying to decide what I wanted to give up for Lent, but I didn't want to give up diet coke because my roommates drink it and I would probably end up giving in and feeling that awful Catholic guilt. I couldn't give up candy because my roommates add to the dreaded candy drawer.... SO I kept my thoughts to myself, until one night we decided we were going to toss out the candy and diet coke and keep each other to it.

It hasn't even been a week and I am losing my marbles!!! I don't drink coffee that often (hardly at all) and diet coke is my only source of caffiene... Needless to say, I've had a a few cups of coffee in the last week.... but I just can't get myself to give up one thing just to replace it with something similar. So, I guess I'll stick to the occasional cup of coffee AS needed.

Feeling all high and mighty ( because I'm thinking that I gave up the HARDEST thing possible for myself...), explaining how giving up alcohol was SO much easier than giving up Diet Coke. I tell my sister what I'm giving up for Lent, when she responds saying "Oh, well I decided not to give anything up this year." (Thinking in my mind, is SHE serious?) Then she follows with, "This year I decided to ADD something. So for every day of the 40 days, I am reaching out to an extended family member to see how they are doing."

Okay Mother Teresa, you win.