Thursday, February 26, 2009

Lent, No Sweat!

Well folks, Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. The kick-off of the season of Lent for us Catholic types (you can get the Lent for Dummies cliff notes here).

Some of what is required of Catholics is:

  1. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of Fasting and Abstinence. That means No meat (abstinence) and no snacking. You may have two small meals and one regular, but light meal.
  2. You are to 'give something up'. Housework, homework or dishes don't count.
  3. No meat on any Friday during Lent.
The point is that every time you feel hunger or crave something that you are denied, you offer it as penance for your sins and remember the sufferings of Christ.

This is not my favorite time of year. I like meat. It's my favorite part of most meals. I can regularly go through a day without meat or snacks and eating minimal amounts without even thinking about it, but the second I'm told that I can't have it and it is forbidden, I can't stand it. It calls to me.

Now you may be asking yourself "I wonder what WeaselMomma has given up for Lent?". I thought about this long and hard. Many of the typical things like chocolate or candy, I can give up without a second thought. I enjoy them, don't get me wrong, but they are not a daily staple for me. They would not be in the spirit of penance. I decided instead to give up beer.

That's right. Go back and read that again. Your eyes are not failing you. WeaselMomma, 40 (46) days, no beer.

This shouldn't really be too much of a problem. Except that, it is a daily staple in my life and now that's it's a forbidden it will be calling to me. The good Lord decided to help me out and make it easy for me to forgo both beer, meat and snacks yesterday. While at the same making sure that I was able to have suffering to offer up as penance for my sins.

"WOW! How he do that?" you must be asking your computer screen right now. I tell you how. I awoke at 2am Ash Wednesday with a migraine. In all of it's throbbing, puking, pulsating, am I having stroke?, glory. I was in too much pain to speak. I was violently sick countless times until about 9am. I dehydrated and was not able to get any water or pain medication to stay down.

Mr. Weasel got the kids out to school, sans smallest. He had a meeting down town for a job prospect that he had to go to. With me being completely unable to function, we had a problem. Our dear friend Patsy stepped up and had smallest spend the day at her house. Yay, for Patsy! She's really awesome and I can't thank her enough. I pulled it together enough to function minimally in time to pick up the kids after school, but we also had 3 different places that the gang had to be. Patsy kept everyone at her house as I chauffeured individual Weasels to and fro. This continued until Mr. Weasel came home and took care of dinner and homework and I went back to bed. I never made it to mass, but that's not a mandatory on Ash Wednesday.

On the positive side, fasting and abstinence were not a problem for me at all yesterday. I didn't even think about beer once all day!!! One day down, 39(45) more to go.

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19 comments:

Melisa Wells said...

Ha: I'm pushing you out of the closet on this one. You didn't mention that when I called you on Tuesday night, I asked if you were giving up wine and other liquor too, and you said no, arguing that it is also possible to give up chocolate without giving up ALL candy.

Good argument. :) You got me.

Hope you feel better today! :)

Rhonda said...

good luck on that! I hope the Lord doesn't give you a migraine every day to help you with your Lent deal. lol

And for a second I was worried abstinence meant no sex. Cuz 40 some odd days w/o THAT would be wayyy harder to give up than meat!

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you are going through beer withdrawls. . .

Laura said...

Oh, WM, you are brave! I'm so sorry about the migraine...I, too, hope it isn't a daily occurrence! My FIL reminded my eldest that Sunday's during Lent are "free" days...keep that in mind if you're desperate! :) I hope you're feeling better today!

I didn't make it to Mass, either, but my son has Influenza A (though he is now quite well w/ a couple of days of Tamiflu on board) so for now, my penance is dealing with a rambunctious almost-six-year-old boy (fighting fiercely w/ my 3 yr. old) who isn't permitted back to school until Monday. My goal is to keep him alive that long.

WeaselMomma said...

@ Melisa ~ You can't sell me up the river like that! Jeez!

@ Rhonda ~ That's what I told Mr.W I was going to give up.

@ New Dad ~ I think it could help.

@ Laura ~ Good luck! It's going to be a long weekend.

Otter Thomas said...

I am glad you got into my comment section. Now we are on speaking terms again. I am Lutheran so we have some participation on the Lent thing. I have never done it but I have found it becoming more popular in the last few years. When I get on the train some day I don't think I will be brave enough to start with beer. Good for you.

Bad Momma said...

Ouch! Hope you are better today! And that you didn't give up coffee. Sudden withdrawal of caffeine can cause migraines.(I'm sure you already know that!)

Melisa Wells said...

Dude(ess), I wasn't "selling you up the river"...I was pointing out your mad skillz in Logic and Argument. I said that you were right! :)

I guess you'll have to have a Jack and Coke with me when we go for wings next week, huh?

WeaselMomma said...

@ otter ~ I am already questioning how wise that choice was, lol.

@ Melisa ~ I will gladly switch to Jack or Bacardi to go with my coke, lime twist!

@ Bad Momma ~ I totally avoid giving up caffeine for that reason. I also stay away from sharp cheeses and fruit juices (except orange), they can also be triggers. I only do limited chocolate and it doesn't bother me much.

Anonymous said...

Soooo sorry to hear about the migraine.

Sacrifice if it really comes because you want to do it can be a very good thing.

terri said...

I gave up all candy one year. It was easy, for some reason, until Easter Sunday and that was the end of that. I've never been able to do it since. I like the idea of doing something like volunteering, rather than giving something up.

Anonymous said...

I hope you're feeling better now. Not to harsh your mellow; but what if Coors Light calls you between now and Easter to take you up on your offer?

Anonymous said...

Migranes suck... Sorry to hear about that. I used to get them a lot.

Good luck giving up beer. You are truly a "Saint" if you pull that oe off!

I gave up chocolate!

seashore subjects said...

Think of the spring celebration you can have on Easter! (assuming spring will have sprung by then)

Momo Fali said...

I've tried to give up beer, and I can't do it. I even gave up red meat one year and fasted every Friday. I could do that, but not beer. Good luck!

Michelle said...

Wow, God's really trying to find ways to help you out, isn't He? I hope you're feeling better -- AND that this interview (vs the phone interview) went really well.

btw, we Episcopals apparently don't give up things but do more nice things. Or something. I'm not fully clear on that yet. Still my first year not Catholic, so I'm picking up bits and pieces.

Mrs4444 said...

Are you sure you weren't going through withdrawal? JK

I've decided that rather than giving something up, I'm going to force myself to exercise at least 10 minutes every day (it's a real sacrifice, let me tell you, as I hate every minute of it!)

Anonymous said...

so, so glad i'm not catholic. hope the headaches stay away and your will power is stronger than mine! :)

Anonymous said...

40 days no beer! Growing up we were allowed to indulge on Sundays since they don't count. Don't look at my post of a beer apron until after Easter!

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