I am about to do something I have never done before: give up wine for the duration of Lent. In general, I usually resist giving things up, especially things from which I derive so much pleasure and contentment.
"No!" my girls both exclaimed when I told them. "We like wine mom. She's happy. She's calm. She's... happy!"
I told them that I refuse to believe that there can be no happiness without wine. However, I understand their concern. It is my ritual to unwind with a glass, sip some more while I take my bath and melt into the night a lot less ragged than I start out.
Typically, I choose to add something during Lent--like exercise or daily devotions. I tell myself that I can benefit more from the addition than any subtraction. This year I'm mixing it up.
Tonite is my farewell glass of wine. I am soaking it up as I write this. Every ounce of pretentious wanna-be wine aficionado that exists within me is screaming to be heard. As I luxuriate in the velvet texture of the wine caressing my tongue, I exult in the vibrant fruit, followed with a lingering peppery finish.
I take a long sniff before each sip, and then roll the wine around in my mouth--drawing out the experience as long as possible. This may be the longest it's ever taken me to drink a glass of wine. (I think I can drag this out another five minutes or so!)
To give my daughters a light at the end of non-wine mom tunnel, I decided to mark the calendar hanging in the kitchen with the countdown of my Lenten sacrifice. As I numbered the days, I was delighted to get to '40' one whole week before Easter!
But I knew it was too good to be true.
I went online to investigate. Lo and behold, Lent does last 40 days; however, you cannot count Sundays--so you really end up depriving yourself for 47 days. FORTY-SEVEN!
You'd think that after 40 days, one more week wouldn't seem like much. But it does! Even on the eve of Day 1, with a full glass of wine of ahead of you!
I am weak.
I am sad.
I do not deny these things. (That's why I chose to give up wine, specifically, and not alcohol, in general--this gives me a beer and martini loophole!)
So, this is my Dear John letter to wine--for the next 47 days, at least (damn those Sundays!)
3 comments:
No kitty...no. Well if you give up wine is there still room for whiskey?
You can do it! Happy lent!!
It's ok, LaRiesse, our St. Patrick's Day tradition of only eating or drinking things which contain beer, whiskey (or butter) will not be impeded! If she gave up Guiness, I would have had to intervene.
Post a Comment