Hi friends,

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of lent. This weekend we will change our clocks and set them an hour ahead for daylight savings. Spring will soon begin and in a few weeks it will be Easter Sunday. It is amazing how fast the first two months of the year have passed.

I had not gone to mass on Ash Wednesday in a few years. Yesterday, I visited my sister and nephews, and we went to mass together. We also saw my brother and his family at the church. It was a treat to see them all! Since I got married and moved away from the south bay area of San Diego, I do not see my siblings and nephews as often as I used to. I also don’t go to mass as often. It was nice to go to mass yesterday, to feel a sense of tradition, family, as well as beliefs and faith.

Some of us believe in a higher being and have faith. Over the years, I have learned to rest in my faith and to trust that whatever outcome occurs, it is for a reason. A reason I may not understand today, but eventually I will. It is not always easy, but praying and having faith help me relax and let go of my worries. I am also thankful for the many blessings in my life and my family’s life, many times I pray not to ask for things, but to be thankful.

Lent is also a period in which I reflect – on life, on how fast time goes by, on family unity and the love it brings, and on traditions. I am looking forward to the spring and Easter. Most of all, I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends, as we celebrate the tradition of Easter – to seeing the flowers bloom as gardens are transformed into beautiful, colorful works of art!

No matter how busy our lives get, it is always nice to stop and appreciate it, take it in, relax a bit, and realize time goes by way too fast. Enjoy today, because you will only live it once! Enjoy the present, as the saying goes, it is a “present” (a gift)!

I took the picture of the flowers above while I was on walk recently. It was a random, colorful bunch of flowers that was just blooming in the middle of pebbles on the edge of a parking lot. It wasn’t part of a garden or planned landscaping, it was just a few flowers blooming! It made me smile and stop to appreciate them, and take a picture. It made me realize spring is just around the corner. Hope you enjoy the coming of spring and the blooming flowers that come along with it!

Do you have plans for Easter? Do you follow any traditions this time of the year? Can you believe how fast the first two months of the year already passed?

Hugs,

Paola

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