What I am Giving up for Lent this Year...

(Hint:  Not a thing...)

Two years ago, I wrote this post about Lent.  It was 2013, and it had been my second year giving up Facebook for Lent (and also the second year I attempted to breathe life into this blog).  So, after three years of suspending my social media addiction, this year,  I decided not to.

It's not because I can't and not even that I don't want to; I just needed something different.  To be perfectly honest, I even temporarily forgot that today was Ash Wednesday until a kid at school asked me when Easter was.  That's when I realized that I had no clue what I planned to give up.  As stated in my original post on the topic, I do not feel it is a necessity to give anything up for Lent; it is just something I try to do for my spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being:  proof that I can make positive changes in my life... even if only for forty days or so... it's a start.

So, I thought about all the things I could or should give up, and I kept talking myself out of every suggestion.  I have been so frustrated lately about things that are beyond my control that I am in no shape whatsoever to be giving up the usual Lenten go-to sacrifices of sweets, ice cream, wine, or other edible/drinkable coping mechanisms.  So, those were NOT viable options.

Source:  Found on buzzfeed.com via Kate on Pinterest

And, I'm just not feeling the whole Facebook thing.  I'm not really on it as much as I used to be anyway, and when I am, it's usually on my phone while I'm a passenger in a car, or while I'm cooking, cleaning, paying bills, multi-tasking, waiting for the microwave, trying to fall asleep, or something like that.  I never just sit down and do nothing but stare at Facebook for hours on end anymore (parenthood, a job, and life in general will do that to a person). So, since I was at a total loss as to what to sacrifice anyway, I decided that, instead of giving something up for Lent, why not add stuff!  For the next forty days, my goal will be to add pieces to the puzzle of my life that have been missing.  So, it's kind of like a Lenten sacrifice... in reverse.

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So, basically, for Lent this year, I am giving up... nothing.  At least, not in the traditional sense.  However, by doing more of the things I should be doing and/or want to be doing, I will be giving up more of the things that do not matter, yet seem to bog me down on a daily basis, by default.  That is the plan anyway...  One thing in particular I'm hoping to have less and less time for:  people who do not add anything positive to my life.

Source:  Found on youtube.com via Kate on Pinterest

One of the things I hope to add to my life is... MORE WRITING!  I briefly thought about making a grand proposal of 40 days of blog posting (HA!) during the Lenten season, but decided that I was only kidding myself.  A good friend told me that my "blog cries itself to sleep every night" because of my lack of regular posts.  I joked that I didn't think anybody actually read it or cared, but I'd be willing to bet that he will be reading this (if he hasn't already).  It feels good to have one loyal blog reader haha.  Just kidding... I know there are more of you out there... right?  RIGHT?!

So, anyway, I WILL write (or read) something every day, but it might not always be in the form of a post.  However, I will slowly get better at this blogging thing... I must...

It is pretty sad, I must say, that I started this blog three years ago, and this is only my ninth post #bloggershame.

So, this Lent, rather than thinking about giving up on things (I do that enough already),

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I want to focus on adding things that enrich my life... and naturally, those other things will fall away and take care of themselves.  One can hope...