Purge-a-thon 2007

I'm not a very good Catholic in many ways, but I enjoy the Lenten season. It's a time of purification, repentance and renewal. When I was thinking about what to give up this year I thought of many things and many obvious things: television, fast food, meat, gossip, but ultimately I decided that I would give up "stuff." My life is cluttered and I think that carries over into all aspects of my life from my physical appearance to my mental clarity. I decided that I would pack my things into boxes and at the end of Lent I would give away those things I did not truly miss or need. I purchased boxes and began packing things away on Ash Wednesday. Four days later, I'm still packing. While the process may take all of Lent, I've found that I do have a connection to material possession. When looking at a book I'd purchased several years ago, but had never actually read it was strangely difficult for me to part with it even knowing that it was just going into a box for the next 40 days. Holding onto things is okay, but I've learned more in the past few days about the things I've been letting go. Ridding myself of this clutter while initially a Lenten sacrifice will ultimately, I think, bring me the sense of inner peace and clarity for which I've been looking.