April Is the Season of Blooming – and Sacrifice

By Cindy Lazo | Published April 15, 2022

Easter season has often been associated with spring, egg hunts, Easter eggs and of course the Easter Bunny–in my case, however, this is a period of sacrifice and abstinence.

The practice of fasting and obligated dietary abstinence was something I had been practicing since I was young. It is a religious observation custom that is associated with Lent, a 40-day season of praying and fasting that starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment.

I will just make it plain and simple: I make a Lent sacrifice that I have to go through with and have to refrain myself from eating meat while having one full plate of food (with two small portions) on particular days during that time frame.

Easy, right? Well, it would be if it was not for the temptation of everyone around me that gets me to the point of saying ‘screw it’.

Growing up, I had to watch people around me enjoy the things I could not indulge in–the years of school lunches where I had to sit back and watch my friends enjoying the pepperoni pizzas on Pizza Fridays while all I could have was my chocolate milk and a bag of 80 percent air-20 percent chips. 

Or not enjoying the things I get pleasure from because I had to follow through with it. There are times where I just gave up because it was too much.

This year, I might have possibly taken a step too far for my Lent sacrifice; along with abstaining from meat consumption on Fridays and commemorative days, I challenged myself into going 40 days without consumption of soft drinks –my ultimate temptation.

While I do not consume soft drinks excessively, it is a bad habit of mine and I thought maybe this is a good way of kicking out of it. 

But if only I gave myself enough time to prepare and ease my way off sodas ahead of Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent season). Instead, I went full cold turkey and expected that it all be okay–which was at the start.

After a good first two weeks off of soft beverages, it seemed like everyone around me was drinking soda, whether it was a can of Pepsi, a cup of Fanta or a good ole bottle of Coca-Cola. 

Eating out with friends saw that I made sure to steer away from them (and the red meat options if it was a Friday). The bottles of water I chugged during family dinners while family members (who had never thoroughly drank sodas) were enjoying their refreshing sodas and even tried to get me to break.

While I am satisfied that I have managed to go through this year’s Lent without cracking and even enjoyed the beneficial effects (like I am consuming more water and even shed a few pounds), I genuinely cannot wait for the week of Easter to enjoy the taste of the cool, refreshing bottle of Coke that is sitting in the fridge.

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