February 6th was Ash Wednesday - the kickoff of the Lenten season. Easter here we come!

I went to mass and received my ashes and thought about what Lent means to me as an adult and how different that is from what it meant to me as a child. Although we did not go to mass regularly when I was growing up, I did attend CCD - religious education classes. Every Lent we were given a small aluminum can with a slot cut out of the top. A makeshift piggy bank of sorts. The goal was to take the can home and have your parents put change in it every time you did a good deed (I think) and then return the can so the money would be donated to the poor. I don’t remember doing any good deeds in particular but I do remember my dad filling up the can with whatever spare change he had. Who wants to return a half empty can right? It had more to do with donating the money than rewarding good deeds. I have a feeling most of the other kids who brought back cans that were about to explode with change didn’t do the required good deeds either.

As an adult the Lenten season symbolizes different things to me. I do not regularly give up something for Lent. I have never really seen the point of abstaining from some arbitrary thing such as gum or chocolate (don’t smoke or drink so can’t give that up!) for 40 days just to start consuming them like they are going out of style the day after Easter. I do consider this season a time for reflection but it is also a time for joy. All worship should be joyful, it should not feel stifling or demanding but rather a natural part of life. I think people feel weighed down by faith when they force themselves to follow something that doesn’t feel natural to them. So this Lenten season I will be grateful for the joy in my life and all that feels natural and peaceful.

Regardless of your faith and traditions, I wish you peace and faith, not only during the Lenten season, but throughout the year. Creating this blog has brought more joy into my life, and lead me to some very inspiring and hysterical blogs which I enjoy visiting daily. Thank you to all who write, share, create and spread their joy to others.

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