Ashes, Ashes

Blessed Ash Wednesday, all.  Today is one of those days that weighs heavy on many.  I see people in church on this day whom I don’t see the entire rest of the year.

Every year, I think about why.  I think is has to do with the burdens we all carry as the very reality of being a human being, alive, on this planet.  I wrote a few reflections about this here.

It’s curious to me why we need this recognition of our humanity.  After all, there’s already enough pain, despair, disappointment, failure in this world.  We can’t avoid it even if we try.  What’s the help in going over and over it again?  Why add to the messages we already hear loud, loud and clear every single day: missed the mark . . . not good enough . . . failed again . . . can’t seem…