Dear LPG, 

I am one of those readers who also doubles as one of those used to be children that did not stop going to Sunday school and Church when my parents agreed that it was not compulsory.  So when it comes to those celebratory days that are routed in Christianity, I do make a point of approaching them with God in the mix.  There are the ones that come with a Bank Holiday tag, Like Christmas and Easter, but then there are the ones that don’t and today marks one of them.  

This one in particular tends to get forgotten although yesterday I have no doubt that there were more pancakes eaten than on any other day in the year.  I know that I am one of so many Grandmothers who will have spent a bit of yesterday making pancakes with all sorts of fillings, but so few people that I know remember the rest of this week’s observances.  

If LPG have managed to post my message on the day I asked, today will be Ash Wednesday, the day of the year when tradition encourages us to start 42 days of giving something we like up.  

I used to be really good at it an unlike some people that go for the same thing every year, I would vary what I gave up.  over the years I have done without meat, cakes, sweets, alcohol, and even going on Facebook, although I draw the line at giving up using my mobile phone altogether.  

But I am beginning to find it all a bit too much these days so I have adopted an alternative thing to do for lent in more recent years.  My challenge is to do something kind for at least one person for each of the Lenten days.

I now do things like buy an extra bar of chocolate to give to someone while I am out shopping, buy a sandwich for the person begging outside the supermarket, telephone someone I have not spoken to for a while, invite a few friends for a coffee morning or take the time to visit someone who can’t get out as much as they used to.  

I know that there are many other faiths in the world but whatever yours is, having the discipline to give something up or just give something to someone else on a regular basis for a while, can be advantageous.  If you go for giving up something you love to eat, it is bound to be bad for you, so living without it for a month or two will improve your health or your waist line but if you know that you won’t be able to manage that, thinking of something you can give or do for someone else for each of the days in question cannot be a bad thing.    

Even though you have not actually given anything up if you try the doing something for someone else tactic, I bet you won’t be able to help but find yourself with a really positive feeling at the end of each day as you look forward to Easter.

MR, Kent.

MR has found a few ideas for those who might like to try having another go at giving something up for lent…

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… or a few kindness ideas just in case you run out…

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… and LPG found a little information about today’s celebration…

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