Lent: reflections

As your favorite armchair gardener, I have some reflections on this time of the year. Lent is traditionally a time of fasting. Fasting is a denial of something good (food) in order to lift our hearts and souls and minds to something better (God). Fasting also gets your attention--it helps to remind me to get out of lazy habits (like mindlessly snacking when I'm not really that hungry) in order that I might use my time better. This is the time for alms-giving and practicing the works of mercy. Okay, so what does this have to do with gardening? Traditionally, late winter/early spring would be the lean time of the year, the time when the winter provisions are running low, but you can't grow anything yet!! So you would naturally be fasting anyway--only the Church takes this lean time and says: Instead of whining about it and complaining about it and feeling sorry for yourself: use it for good! For the good of my soul and for the good of others. I hope that I will remember this and take good advantage of the graces that God wants to give me this Lent.

I just read a heart-wrenching blog of a couple who suffer from infertility who just had three stillbirths this past year. Twins followed by a baby boy. I am holding C-S in my arms as he is sleeping right now, and I looked down at him and thought: am I really grateful for how blessed I am? We are so blessed! We have been blessed with four good pregnancies and four healthy kids. It is an embarrassment of riches. The heavens have rained down blessings on us---such a beautiful home, such a happy family. Thank You, my God!

And what of the babies we lost? Kate and Luke? Such blessings as well. We would have never ever known so many things if they hadn't come to us--even though it were such a short time. Their lives were channels of grace to us, their oh so human parents. Oh God, thank You for these precious babies you gave to us. How I miss them. Next month, it will be the eleventh anniversary since Kate died. O God, how I miss them.