The pancakes & beignets have been eaten,
the beads have been put away,
and the forty days and nights of Lent are upon us.
And with it comes a decision as to how best to greet this season.
I like to think of it as an opportunity for a mystical house cleaning.
A decluttering of the mind.
A clearing of the head that helps one to focus the senses
on a simpler and less agitated existence.
Some find it helpful to exercise denial...
eschewing those foods or passtimes they love
like a spiritual cleanse.
Some find it helpful to do something extra
and perhaps even slightly burdensome...
tasks and inconveniences that lift us out of the habit of being self-absorbed.
I haven't quite decided what to do... or what not to do.
As if in preparation, I did clean the house on Sunday, from top to bottom.
The right approach will come to me, organically, I hope.
But in the end, if all else fails,
trying to be kinder is always a good start.
I have been thinking a lot about Lent and what to do or not do. I don't usually do anything but this year seems a little different. I'll have to let you know what I decide. Maybe I should just put it to prayer.....
ReplyDelete~Liz
Sometimes the process of deciding what to do is enough, Liz, since it has the effect of making me 'mindful'... and I think contemplation is really what the season is about.
ReplyDelete