40 Reflections: 40 days of raw recollections during the Lenten Season

No. 1

“I know that a life is much richer with a spiritual part to it. And I also think nothing is more interesting. So I cling to it.”

― Mary Oliver

Five years ago on Ash Wednesday, I dug through my inner toolbox searching for shiny hammers, grippy-handled screwdrivers, and a fully charged drill to help reinforce the scaffolding of my spirituality. Turns out all I needed was a laptop and vulnerability.

So I began writing. For forty days. Sharing stories about the day-to-day minutia I cherish. The small moments where friendships, surrender, grace, and laughter keep me from falling flat. Quick conversations confirm I am not the only mom who feels more stressed about scholarships, applications, and pre-calculus tests than my kids, nor am I the only mom who loathes tik tok, yet find the videos my kids share to be thoroughly entertaining.

Five years later, I am recharging my laptop, and soul thinking of the great poet Mary Oliver who said,

“When you write a poem, you write it for anybody and everybody. And you have to be ready to do that out of your single self. It’s a giving.”

My hope is you gleam a little something positive from my corner of the world this Lenten season.

Meditation: Please pray for the Ukrain