The Tortoise Way: We Rise Again From Ashes

Today is Ash Wednesday. While this is not a spiritual blog in any specific way, I'm using my faith practice to help with my journey of health. I'm also using my health journey as part of my spiritual journey.

ALERT: I'm not going to espouse any sort of specific spirituality, so please don't worry. But I am going to reference what I know so bear with me.

I'm feeling very reflective and somber today. And yes, it's partially because I do practice (somewhat loosely), my native faith and I will honestly tell you even when I was a militant atheist, I secretly focused inward during Lent. And, this particular time in the Christian calendar remains my personal favorite. I also grew up in South Louisiana, and while people nationwide are embracing the Mardi Gras spirit, I don't think the carnival season has any meaning without what is supposed to follow.

I had the chance to spend the early part of the parade season in New Orleans with a dear friend who is also named Lynn and whose birthday is the day after mine. Also, her dad is from the city so she also shares a direct connection to it. We always talked about going to New Orleans together and we made it happen.

Right after an amazing 25 cent martini lunch at Commander's Palace.

It was glorious! In between drinking and celebrating, we browsed art galleries and antique shops on Magazine, wandered through the Lafayette #1 cemetery on Washington Street and let ourselves wilt like delicate Southern flowers in our gorgeous St. Charles Avenue apartment. It was a dream of mine to be on St. Charles Avenue during carnival and this was it. I got to spend time with my parents, cousins, friends and drink in the sounds, smells, and ambience of my beloved Mardi Gras. It was so much fun (clean, legal fun, but fun!).

Krewe of Cleopatra, Friday January 29.

And, all that revelry has led me to today where I'm very ready to be sober, reflective and focused. I'm taking a leap and giving up alcohol for the entire Lenten season. I'm doing it to feel better and to see what taking that one thing out of my life will do for me overall. Six weeks is a good time frame to see if there's a difference and I'm going to be paying very close attention to that. But also, in the Catholic tradition, those things you give up are supposed help you focus more on your spiritual self and I've felt very disconnected from that so my intention is come back to that. I do not force my own beliefs on others, by any means, but I do think feeding your soul in whatever way you choose is essential to one's well being.

In addition, I'm going to follow the Catholic tradition of fasting today and not eating meat (land animals). Today I'm supposed to only eat the equivalent of one meal throughout the day. This is to be in solidarity with the poor. And, we eat fish to help the fishermen. I like that.

I'll be blogging my way through these next six weeks so we'll see how it goes.

But, let's look back on my fun time leading up to today. (These photos are not in chronological order).