Pruning...

In the grand scheme of my existence, I realized that having a “How ’bout them apples?” Thoreauvian moment wasn’t really too important. I looked at my list of requirements for a perfect fruit tree and tore it in half. I resigned myself to picking some spotty apples (and only a handful of edible ones) each year … But this part of the calendar has become a time for me to anticipate the Easter blooms of that beautiful apple tree and to remember that Lent is as much about quitting the obligations that clutter our life as it is about learning to dedicate ourselves to more eternal tasks — because fewer branches equal better fruit.

After reading this article, I asked myself, "How many limbs do I need to prune from my life? What branches do I really need?"