So yesterday was Shrove Tuesday. Been a Christian a long time but I have never celebrated Shrove Tuesday. This year my kids are in Catholic School. The tradition apparently is to have a Pancake Breakfast at school. This year was no different. So at 7:10 my husband dropped me off at the school to help the principal, the vice-principal and several other moms make pancakes and sausages.
With this new experience, I decided to think more about Lent. Yesterday Trev and I decided that this year we would give up something and encourage the kids to give up something as well. I joked with my sister that perhaps I could give up sex but then I didn’t think Trev would agree. To my surprise he did but alas that is not what we chose. I have decided to give up chocolate and Trev will give up Coke (a-cola.) When I talked to the kids about it after school Taylor right away decided he would give up Pop. Mykayla chose candy and Noah chose PSP. Mykayla changed her tune later when she realized that candy included the Happy Feet chews I bought the other day. She has now decided on pop as well. For Taylor and Mykayla this isn’t a huge stretch since they are not allowed alot of pop anyway. Noah on the other hand loves I mean LOVES his PSP and with Taylor’s hockey tournament happening this weekend this will be a bigger sacrifice. We of course are taking Sundays off so we will see how it goes for the next 40 days.
Today being Ash Wednesday I went to Catholic Mass as the kids were going from school. Mykayla’s class was doing the service so not only did she have a small speaking part at the beginning of the service, she also sang right into the microphone and was one of the loudest voices out there (Go Figure.) It was great for the kids to be there to here Father Matthew speak about Lent and why we celebrate it. It has always been something on the church calendar that I just sort of skimmed over and never paid much attention to it. Today it started to click for me. Forty days of Lent. Forty days of Jesus in the desert. Forty days of giving up one thing of value to me. Forty days of fasting for Jesus. Forty days of being tempted by chocolate. Forty days of being tested. Finally at the end a celebration of overcoming Death.
I am looking forward to learning more about this Season of Lent in the next forty days. I am looking forward to learning with my children. I am looking forward to this journey. I am looking forward to celebrating Easter.
