This time last year, I was approaching Ash Wednesday with anxiousness. I wanted to be a resurrection person and participate in the practice of remembering that I came from dust and I’ll return to dust. But I has some baggage to shuffle through first.

I’m not in the same place as I was last year. I’m looking ahead to new things, and ready to start some new chapters and practices in my life.

In other words, I’m ready for Ash Wednesday.

I still have my penny from last year. I wasn’t ever ready to give it up. I don’t think I am still. I like having it around. I like knowing the crap that I have gone through and where I’m at now because of it.

But I am ready to be reminded that from dust I came and I’ll go back to that one day. It puts a lot of things into perspective. Especially in light of our current political affairs in the USA.

My penny reminds me that while I come from dust, I also come through crap because I fought through it and came out on the other side. That’s what I hope to do this Lent. Go through the crap and help others go through it too, and maybe come out on the other side as better than when this all started.

Here’s to hoping. And to pennies.