Egg Salad

Well, it's that time of year again...Lent. It's meant to be a thoughtful time of self-reflection and sacrifice, as those of us in the religious world prepare for the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection on Easter morning. What most Catholics view as 40 days of things they can't have, I've always viewed as a new beginning...a chance for things to start over better than they were before. I've sucessfully defeated the winter and it's hold on the chemicals in my brain, and I'm ready to enjoy life again in whatever capacity I can. Sure, I really hate that I can't eat meat on Fridays during Lent and that I have to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and that I should give something up for those long 40 days as a way of paying penance for all the sins I've committed (believe me, I would have to go a lot longer than 40 days to make up for all the sins I've committed according to the Catholic church). Those activities are less than pleasant, but I do them...partly because it's so ingrained in my head that the thought doesn't even occur to me not to, and partly because I feel stronger having done so. I'm not sure that's the point they were trying to get across to me as a child growing up in the Church, but it's what I get out of it now as an adult still trying to grow up.

So, in honor of Ash Wednesday, which just sort of snuck up on me this year (call it preoccupation with life, I guess), I had my first egg salad sandwich since last year at this time. It's one of those delights that I only treat myself to during Lent when I can't have the burger or chicken sandwich I really want. Instead, I have a nice big egg salad sandwich on rye bread. It's such a simple pleasure and yet it means so much. Here's to a new beginning and many more egg salad sandwiches!