Taking Something on for Lent

Wow, can we say lack of posts lately? I'm pathetic. Between crazy work and a dance show in a week and everyone's favorite seasonal affective disorder in Wisconsin come February, I have been absent. So tonight, I'm back with a vengeance.

It's Lent. I freaking love Lent. Best season of the church year fer sure. Draw in, reflect, dwell in the darkness that exists in us all, prepare, acknowledge the importance of ritual. Yeah yeah.

I have been in the tradition of giving something up for Lent since my early teenage years. My dad always gave up the same thing for Lent and encouraged us to be Lenten ritual followers from an early age. Lutherans don't do the whole no meat on Fridays bit, and that wouldn't be an issue for me these days anyway since I've been without for 10 years and counting...however, this means every year I have to be creative enough to decide what my sacrifice for the season will be.

For too many years to count, I've tried giving up chocolate. I am now surrendering and announcing that this is indeed an impossible task for me. I think I succeeded one year, freshman year in college. Hasn't happened since. May not ever happen again. I'd love to say that I have the self-control and discipline to give it up for 4o days, but when it comes down to it, well, I just don't. 

I contemplated giving up Facebook. But...well, I couldn't do it. (Which means I probably should be, I know, believe me.) As addicting as it is, I have come to depend on the old FB for regular communication with my sibs, other family and close friends. And the whole no-internet fast is a little too close to home to repeat any such nonsense in the near future. I also contemplated giving up making to-do lists and just seeing what happened. And then I had a panic attack thinking about it.

So tonight, the day after Ash Wednesday (I stink), I am making my Lenten resolution. Last year I read an article about adding something to improve your well-being verses taking something away for Lent. One part of me thinks - well then where is the sacrifice? Isn't that like cheating and justifying it? Another part of me is a strength-based approach therapist and thinks this idea is pretty much swell.

Thus, after all the build-up, for Lent this year I will be adding to my daily routine...drumroll please...better boundaries. That's right folks, Mariah is going to add the word "no" to the vocabulary for Lent this year. Putting the people pleaser, perfectionist aside and laying down the line. For all the talk about boundaries we do in the therapy world, I'm pretty darn miserable at setting them in my own life. But watch out, the next 40 days will rock my world. Hopefully. (That's where grace enters in...)

I'll keep you posted. Hopefully this is more manageable than giving up chocolate. Happy Lent.