โWelcome, dear feast of Lent,โ wrote George Herbert in a poem on the subject.ย Of course, it is not a feast but a fast. ย But I know what Herbert means. ย Lent, even when celebrated by fasting, gives us lots to feast upon.
I love Lent, which begins today. ย I get so tired of my constant self-indulgence. ย It really is a form of bondage. ย I find Lent strangely liberating. ย I donโt do any grand renunciations or meritorious deeds. ย Maybe I can work up to thoseย some year. ย Right now I just watch what I eat and exercise. ย All I do is live more healthily than I usually do. ย I can do that for 46 days. ย And usually I can carry over a few good habits into the rest of the year. ย But saying โnoโ to myselfโnot eating the empty carbs even though Iโm hungry; keep walking even though my muscles start to acheโis good for me on many levels.