Love-hearts, Pancakes & Lent

For some reason, and possibly because it can be wet, dark and dismal, February has been considered a dreary month. It certainly frequently brings the snow to either inspire us with sheer white sparkling beauty, or chill us through, but love it or hate it snow is hardly boring, and very bright. In our village the snow brought out faces I don't think I'd ever seen before. Families were out with sledges, people were clearing footpaths and shovels were swinging all over the place! A real sense of good hearted community spirit was shared.

Valentine's Day greets us in the middle of the month flooding the shops with pink and red love-hearts hoping to remind us not to forget to send roses and sweet words to those we love. We may have forgotten the origins of Saint Valentine's, when a young maiden may have seen the face of her future husband in the mirror, and to cynics it's rather commercial, but to the romantic it warms the cockles of our heart. Whether we want to express our love in card form or otherwise it is a perfect opportunity to remember that the words 'I love you' are so very important. Love is the most important driving force in human beings. I believe it always as been, as this quote from scriptures from the Essenes, written over two thousand years ago shows: "...For without Love, a man's heart is parched and cracked as the bottom of a dry well, and his words are empty as a hollow gourd. But loving words are as a honeycomb sweet to the soul; loving words in a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of love as a flowing brook. By this we know the Children of Light: as those who walk with the Angel of Love".... Seen as a Divine virtue shared by God and the angels then, and I hope it always will be.

Then how can we forget Shrove Tuesday, a delightful day of batter mix and pancake tossing. Golden pancakes in all shapes and sizes consumed by the plate load, laced with sugar and dripping with lemon juice. Possibly followed by the reluctant deprivation of chocolate, biscuits or other goodies, for Lent.
I think most of us remember the pancakes on Shrove Tuesday part. But I wonder if we all remember, or even know, the Christian ritual of Lent, of clearing out the larder, so that they could live on less until Easter... of giving something up and focus on 'not having' something for the sake of faith.

Many years ago I joined in a month of spiritual practices with a group from the local church where I lived in London's East End. Each week we chose a topic of focus rather than give up chocolate , biscuits or alcohol. We decided to concentrate on four themes, one for each week. These were inner peace, kindness, meditation, and letting go of grudges held against others. It seems to me that it may have been a little more meaningful to me at the time than giving up a few biscuits! I think of it each year. I never give up chocolate for Lent. I always try to focus more on kindness throughout the month though.

Then tailing on the end of the month, last but not least, is the significant extra day of a Leap year when all those poor babies who would otherwise forego a birthday celebration get to enjoy their specialness of having been born on the elusive 29th! And, not forgetting the magic of this traditional day when women get to propose marriage to their lover.

So actually this boring little month of February, is not insignificant in the slightest even though it lies in the heart of the dark days of Winter. Personally I love the snowdrops, the birdsong in the fields as I'm walking with my dog on frosty cold day, choosing a Valentine card with just the right words.... and celebrating the birthday each year of my lovely daughter. Yes I do believe February has quite a lot going for it after all.

With all my Love, Chrissie