I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Easter is almost here, which means Lent is coming to an end.

 

I gave up alcohol for Lent, specifically wine. I am a wino. My mom and I started our “research” a few years ago. We’ve been to various wineries. We always drink a bottle when we go out to dinner. We cook with wine. Basically, if we are together, we are drinking!

 

My mom was raised Catholic. She went to Catholic schools, Mass every Wednesday and Sunday, the whole shebang. She made the decision to let us (my two younger sisters and I) discover our own religion instead of us following in her footsteps. Thus, I am not a practicing Catholic, but I do like a good challenge and a 40-day challenge seems right up my alley!

 

In doing my research, I confided in her, especially when I crossed my fingers hoping Lent was over on Holy Thursday. Turns out we are a Holy Saturday kind of family. Even worse, Lent is over so late on Saturday that it is basically Sunday, Easter Sunday.

 

Rats!

 

I already have a bottle of my favorite wine ready to go on the kitchen counter. I was hoping to crack that baby on Thursday.

 

So, why am I telling you all this?

 

First, let me say that I was inspired by a friend to participate in Lent this year. My friend wrote this heartfelt status on Facebook about how she is too involved in other people’s lives and she needed to focus on herself so she was giving up Facebook for Lent. How true?! I find myself on Facebook stalking my friends and then I snap back into reality. “Hold on. What was I going on here to do?” Sometimes, I click the app on my phone out of habit and before I know it, 30 minutes have passed. Where does the time go?!

 

Anyway, I was inspired. So, I sent her a text and told her how she inspired me and that she wasn’t alone on her journey and that I was going to give up wine for Lent. We made a pact. We were in this together. We sent each other encouraging messages, mostly a countdown for when we could drink/Facebook stalk people again! 😉

 

I started this journey to see if I could do it, but it ended up changing my outlook on things.

 

A lot of my friends are bartenders. My boyfriend works in a bar. I was at the point where I would walk in the door of my favorite watering hole and they would have a glass of wine on the bar, ready for me. (They were not happy the first couple of weeks when I explained that I wasn’t going to be drinking for next few weeks. Lots of wine went down the drain, which broke my heart a little.)

 

Not drinking is tough! Especially on those long work days when all I wanted was a glass of wine and a bubble bath at the end of the day. I thought about cheating so many times! Who cares? Who would know?

 

The fact is, I would know and I would fail, epically. I always think that people are out to get me or that they are waiting on me to fail. (Paranoid much?) Anyway, I don’t want them to win or for them to think, “I knew she couldn’t do it.” So, onward it is.

 

Forty days of not drinking and what did I learn? SO MUCH!

 

I learned that drunk people are not funny to sober people nor are the drunks as funny as they think.

 

I learned how to save money. I know that may sound silly. I’m almost 30 years old. I have no kids, I’m no longer married, I should have all the money in the world. But a glass of wine at my favorite bar, almost every day adds up!

 

I took this time to catch up on my personal finances by getting caught up on a few bills that I may have let slip to the 60-90 day pay period. No worries, I’m now caught up and following a scheduled payment plan.

 

Of course, it was difficult. But, I survived. I made it through to the end. I reassured myself that I am still a strong person who follows through on her promises.

 

Did you participate in Lent this year? Tell us your story at www.facebook.com/Miraclean