New Year’s Day is a celebration of new beginnings. Ash Wednesday begins a season of sacrifice. Yet both have something in common for me, and they involve thoughtful planning and reflection.

Anyone who has read my columns or blogs for any length of time knows I still make New Year’s Resolutions every year. I give some thought to them, and try to come up with resolutions I can actually keep. Whether I really do is another story, of course, but I give it my best shot. Sometimes my resolutions deal with something I want to accomplish; other times they involve a positive habit I want to incorporate, or a negative one I want to break.

On Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of the Lenten season, the purpose is preparation for what’s to come when we celebrate Easter according to our own faith’s beliefs and traditions. Lent is a season of sacrifice, self-discipline, prayer, and almsgiving, which means the donation of money, time, or other acts of mercy and compassion for the poor. I grew up with the tradition of “giving up” something for Lent, such as candy or TV. As I grew older, that tradition remained, although I chose different, more relevant things to give up: chocolate, coffee, soft drinks, or alcoholic ones. I also added to the prayers that were already a part of my life, such as saying a daily rosary, or spending an hour in my church’s adoration chapel.

What I struggle with from time to time—and I know I’m not alone in this—is that sometimes sacrifices turn out not to be so sacrificial. I remember discovering chai one year, when I gave up coffee, but had a meeting with someone at a coffee shop during Lent. I’ve looked forward to dropping a few pounds whenever I gave up sweets or alcohol. And I remember an Italian priest one year talking about how he and his siblings used to look forward to Fridays during Lent, because—since meat was forbidden then—it meant homemade cheese pizza for dinner.

So I try to make my Lenten activities meaningful and heartfelt, and for the benefit of others rather than myself. I say daily prayers for people that I know are in extra need of them—or for people I don’t really want to pray for. I focus on donations that benefit those truly in need, and make a point of giving up some of my beloved treasures and possessions, not just those that are castoffs or clutter. And I do more spiritual reading than I do during the rest of the year.

As with my New Year’s Resolutions, I don’t know if I’ll faithfully and completely fulfill my Lenten resolutions each and every day. But I resolve to try.

February 18, 2026
©Betty Liedtke, 2026

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