Lent is a forty-day liturgical season that initiates the most sacred part of the Christian year. ... During Lent, Christians meditate on the great paschal mystery -When Ash Wednesday came around and it was time for Lent, I can remember what I would give up when I was a little girl. My most vivid memory was to give up Coca Cola. Silly thing is, though, a Coke was just a special treat we got to have on a Saturday afternoon. It wasn't like Mother allowed us to drink it any time as kids do now. Certain foods and rituals were special treats back then. So I wasn't really fasting from Coke for Lent. Excess wasn't the norm back then. You waited so long for your birthday to get that $5 in a birthday card so you could go to the toy and hobby store and purchase a couple new outfits for Barbie. You got a new pretty dress for Easter. You got new clothes for back to school. You waited all year for Christmas to come and drooled over the Speigel catalog selecting the few really special things you couldn't live without.
Do we truly live "without" these days? What should we give up for Lent?
1 comment:
Hi, Kim!
Oh, I remember the day when a trip to any kind of toy store was a rare treat! And I was allowed to pick out one, and only one, special toy. Christmas was the time we got a couple of special toys, and those usually did us until the next Christmas! I think as a society as a whole, we spoil our children to excess! Times seemed so much simpler "back in the day," didn't they? My mother-in-law gives up all sweets for Lent. My husband gives up his wee morning hour trip to the refridgerator for his dose of cake frosting straight from the container or raw cookie dough (I'm not kidding...he actually does this). I am giving up my diet coke. This is a HUGE thing for me, as I'm totally addicted.
I hope you're doing well. Thanks for your most recent visit to my blog!
Blessings,
Paula
Post a Comment