Tomorrow is the day that we remember our mortality. Not so pleasant, but good to do once in a while. When I put ashes on a person's head, I will tell them (and it is particularly hard with sick people, who know it all too well) "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return."
Lent is hard to get without experiencing it. But it really can go well.
Both are really quite an enormous luxury for me. :)
Umm... that is giving me second thoughts. I told my friend at work that I would go to Roswell's chapel with him tomorrow and start a sacrifice for lent - for the spirit of it. I was planning on giving up wasteful internet surfing - and maybe blogging at (e:strip) for a while.