A friend of mine asked on FB a couple weeks ago whether someone wanted to take on the challenge of giving up something for Lent. While I am not  religious, I am very much about reflection and challenging oneself. So, I said that I was in. So for a while I will be giving up sweets and drinking beverages that are not water.

From an outsider perspective, it seems to me that Lent is in part about mindfulness. Obviously abstinence/restraint/sacrifice is a key element, but to me, what is the point of sacrifice without mindfulness. Because this is not symbolic of faith for me, yet I am borrowing from a tradition that is very important to those who practice,  I want to be respectful in my approach for this challenge. For me, this is about paying attention to the way that I treat my body. I am fortunate enough to be healthy, and I am grateful for that. I exercise regularly. I try to eat well. I make getting enough rest a priority.

However, I am uncomfortable with my coffee-drinking habits. And one area where I could use more mindfulness and more restraint is where it comes to sweets. These are things that could use improvement. I think that a part of respecting your body is treating it well. This is something that I hope to pass on, by example, to my son.

For the last few years,  I haven’t made New Year’s Resolutions. Instead, I tend to set goals at my birthday. I usually set a number of them. This is the third year that I’ve done this.

I like these goals to be personally meaningful to me. But as some of the longer term goal are reached and some of the smaller fears are conquered, it becomes more challenging. I don’t know how many more years I’ll be setting goals upwards of 3o at a time.  The other challenge is that within a year, some priorities shift. Something you thought was important to you turns out not to be. I have, over time, learned to be more gentle with myself in this area. Before I would have seen an incomplete goal as a failure of sorts whether or not I still found the goal relevant to me. Before, not posting this on New Year’s Eve or on New Year’s Day would have made me feel, again, like I had failed and would take some of the excitement (yes, excitement) out of the goals that I’m posting.

Like many other people, the end of the year causes me to stop for a second and take stock of things. For me, it makes me take a gander at my birthday goals to see which of them I have achieved and which ones need more commitment on my part.

There are two goals, however, that I have on my 32×32 list that I have taken no steps, 3.5 months in, to make happen.

• Learning to swim
• Submitting my writing for publication

So, these are the two things that I am re-committing to at the dawn of 2011.

I am really proud of this tomato because it grew from a plant that I started from seed. I didn’t maintain the plant, but take satisfaction in the success of the seed starting. Woo-hoo, heirloom tomato. Seeing the tomato, the vegetable of summer (in my mind) makes me feel like the season isn’t winding down.

At the grocery the other day, I came across squash. I am a summer gal who thinks that if you’re not sticking to any surface upon which you sit, then it is not hot enough. However, I have to admit that there is something seductive about squash. I like to look at them, marvel at the variety that exists. I always have grand plans to take advantage these guys when they’re plentiful, but I have yet to do it. I think this will be the year. Already, I have several recipes earmarked. The squash will ease me and mine into the crisper, cooler season.