Lenten Links

Each year I dread Lent.

Not because it's the season of sacrifice, but because I loose my husband each Lent to the hundreds of activities that he has at work. So, each year, I make a pledge..."I will not dread this Lent. I will do my best to make it a meaningful Lent, full of prayer and self-reflection. And each activity that my husband attends is one less activity that stands in the way of actually having a conversation with him."

But the truth is that often, I get bogged down in the day to day grind and the build-up to Easter that I have very little time to focus on a meangingful Lent. I'm just trying to survive so that my husband can come home in the afternoon on Easter Sunday to a house full of happy family and friends and lots of good food. No easy task.

But this year is a little different. Our oldest is getting to the age where Lent can really begin to be a meaningful season and I began to think of ways that she could learn the joy of Lent. Years ago, when Regan ruled the world and hair defied gravity in unusual ways, a nun at school made us complete something I call "Lenten Links." It was a purple paper chain with forty links for each student. Every link had an instruction written inside for the student to undertake with their caregivers at home. The idea was to remove a link each day of Lent as a visual understanding of Lent while encouraging giving, praying, or even sacrifice . As a kid, I loved this project and looking back it was one of the first times I began to understand Lent.

So you guessed it. We made "Lenten Links" this year. With instructions to "Pray for someone you love," or "Draw a picture of Lent." She loves it! We are focusing on being better listeners, helpers, and sharers with our Links this year. Thank you, Sister Virginia.

P.S. Stay tunned for updates on Being Bookish. The adventure starts again.