So Lent is coming. Tomorrow.
Last year, I decided to give up drinking wine on Thursday nights and Sunday nights. It was difficult, but I did it.
“What’s the significance of Ash Wednesday?” I ask my little sister who’s really Catholic and goes to church every Saturday or Sunday and sometimes during the week. On her lunch break. We’re talking on the phone on Lent Eve.
“You know, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. From ashes we came and back to ashes we go,” she says. “Repent and turn toward the Bible. And the 40 days of Lent signifies the 40 days Jesus was tempted by the devil and resisted…”
“Uh huh. I did know that,” I say, feeling sort of good about my Catholic-ness.
Little sister continues, “And the Jews wandered the desert for 40 years.”
“That’s a long time,” I say. “What were they looking for?”
“Oh you know, I don’t know, the land of milk and honey?” she says.
“Well they weren’t going to find it in the desert,” I say. Snort. Chuckle. Snort.
Then we discuss what we’re giving up for Lent. Her kids want to try giving up junk food. Her husband wants to give up yelling. I tell her Cro Magnon wants to give up chocolate and ice cream. And I think I’m going to give up drinking wine on Thursday and Sunday nights. Again.
“Oooh. That’s hard,” she says. Understandingly.
“Yeah. It is,” I say, thinking about my unholy spigot attached to the Bota Box of Pinot Noir. I love that feeling of almost weekend. When I break open a fresh box. Press a wine glass underneath and let if flow. I can feel the anxiety and tension wash away like sins in a baptism pool, just thinking about it.
“I like Thursday nights. It’s like it’s almost the weekend and you get this little kick off,” she says. My sister understands me so much. I love her.
“Yes.” I say. “And then on Sunday nights – it,s even harder. I just have this anxiety. Like the weekend is over. And you have to start a whole new week,” I say.
“Yeah. It’s just like you’re making it last a little while longer,” she says.
“As long as I have my box of wine, I’m ok,” I say.
“Yeah.” she says.
“Yeah.” I say.
“You know Jesus was called a glutton and a drunkard,” she says.
“Nooo.” I say. “Why?”
“He didn’t follow their rules. He turned water into wine. It was a spiritual elixir… ” she says.
“Wine is all over the Bible.”
“It is.” she says.
“And it’s got antioxidants.” I add. Just in case.