no thanks, I gave it up for Lent

My friend Elke in Germany wrote about what some of her friends are giving up for Lent this year:  one is fasting on "everything"; one is giving up chocolate, one alcohol, one sex (which for many people wouldn't take a major effort)...

I grew up in a church where the word Lent was never mentioned, and even though I've been connected to a more mainstream church in recent years, Lent, that part of the church year between Ash Wednesday (whatever that is) and Easter, is still kind of a mystery for me.  Still, the idea of giving up something for Lent, even though I don't understand that concept either, is kinda cute, so I went through a few years of finding something to give up.  One year, for instance, I gave up Nestle Crunch bars, which I was sort of hooked on at the time (And on Easter that year, I flooded the office with Nestle Crunch bars).

Elke's note reminded me that I hadn't given up anything this year (at least not intentionally) and it's already two weeks past Ash Wednesday.  Maybe what I'll give up is giving up something for Lent.