What are you giving up?

As Ash Wednesday approached, I was thinking a lot about what I would give up for Lent.

Typically I give up sweets, or alcohol, or sweets and alcohol.

It's selfish, really. I figure Lent is as good a time as any to lose a few pounds. But maybe that's too easy. Maybe there's something else--something more meaningful--that I should be giving up.

N had it all figured out this year. She was giving up playing on the computer.

But not the Kindle Fire.

We had a little chat about that one. Obviously she can chose to give up whatever she wants, but you know, it is kind of..well, cheating.

She informed me this morning that she had changed her mind, and she had decided to give up chocolate.

Phew. Valentine's Day just got a whole lot cheaper.

But me? I'm still not really sure.

Yesterday, it occurred to me that I'd like to give up getting soaking wet as I attempt to coax B  into the pool for swim lessons. Again.

And more than once I've thought about giving up on trying to keep my house clean.

Same goes for my car.

Does God really see any benefit in complete and utter futility?

It's occurred to me several times in recent months that I would like to give up changing diapers. I've been changing someone's diapers since 2005.

Enough already.

And then today, it seemed that the decision on what to give up was made for me.

Apparently, I'm giving up picking N up from school.

At least, I'm sure that's what the school secretary thought when she had to call me to tell me that N was in the office with her, since they had a two hour early release today.

Which I totally knew. But, well, there was B's Valentine's party at preschool today, and the tax stuff, and the fact that I wasn't feeling all that well so I might have actually been napping when the school called.

To tell me to come pick up my child.

I'm pretty sure this also means I'm giving up my mother of the year award.

I had visions of N sobbing in the office, looking up at me with her tear stained faced and declaring "But you forgot me!". I had visions of her future years in therapy, and of her eventually saying "I realize now that my mother really did love me. She was just a total mess".

But as I walked into the office, N was standing next to the secretary's desk, smiling and eating Valentines' candy.

 With her best friend, whose mother also forgot her.

Misery loves company.

And so does complete and utter embarrassment.

As for Lent? I'm giving up sweets. But for obvious reasons, I haven't committed to alcohol.

And as for N, she's starting tomorrow, since her mother took her to Starbucks after school and bought her a cheesecake brownie.

If only I could give up guilt.