As a Catholic and a Polish dude I was preparing for Lent. Paczki were ordered, and I began pondering the Lenten season. For years we are always told we should give something up until Easter, although the rules were always a little shady as sometimes we were told we were able to have on Sundays what we gave up, other times there was the spirit of “fasting” for the entire season. One year I did great, giving up adding sweetener, both artificial and natural, into things, specifically my iced tea and coffee. Somehow I made it through the season although I did pick up the diet soda after Easter. This season, though, I had a plan. I was going to add some things which I know kind of goes against the theory of Lent, but I felt trying to consistently do my yoga, meditation, and exercising for the season would make me a better person, but on the giving up something I went back to the old standard, giving up soda.
Fat Tuesday was truly fat with delicious packi, and my Ash Wednesday started nicely. I figured I would easily be able to skip the Diet Coke during the day, I penciled in my 15 minutes of Yoga and meditation for when I came home, and planned on hitting the gym on Thursday. All was set for my Lent!
And then the day turned to crap. For no better way to put it things got busy, I got lost in the progress of the day, and before I knew it, not even thinking about it as if on auto-pilot, the Diet Coke was opened, poured, and down into my belly. It took a while for me to realize it, and then an under-my-breath “Shit” was uttered, but the day continued kind of crappy, I got home and the last thing on my mind was anything but Yoga and meditation, and suddenly it was Thursday and on my Lenten sacrifices I had already, utterly, failed.
Sure, I could have picked myself back up on Thursday, but it came and went. At least on Friday, thanks to my wife, lunch was a tasty peanut butter and jelly sandwich while dinner was pierogi so I cleared the “no meat” thing, but for Lent I have yet to actually accomplish any of my sacrifices or additions.
Now I know I could probably just go to Confession and ask a priest how bad it is, what my penance should be, and although my goal is to actually get back on track today, but for now I know I have been bad, been a failure at Lent, but wonder: How many Hail Mary’s should I say?
That’s it for this one! L8R!!