Paczkis, Kindness and the Year of the Horse

The delightful convergence of three special days turned an ordinary Tuesday into a particularly sweet day around here.

First came the paczkis, those pillowy Polish treats that pop up just in time for us Catholics to know exactly what we’re giving up when we abstain from desserts during Lent.

I picked a pack of paczkis for my coworkers and for my husband’s yesterday morning at my friendly neighborhood bakery, Simple Simon. The atmosphere there felt as celebratory as the treats. WLUK was outside filming for their morning show, so I hustled inside. (My hair was still wet and hadn’t yet figured out how it planned to arrange itself for the day. We, my hair and I, try to avoid mirrors and cameras until we’ve settled in for the day).

A friendly accordion player greeted me in song as I came through the door and the whole bakery shimmered in purple, green and gold. I chatted a bit while staff members collected my two orders, then left with a big smile and a healthy stack of bakery boxes.

Yesterday was also Random Acts of Kindness Day and I had some fun with that. And, I learned from a friend at Costco, that today was also the Lunar New Year and the launch of the Year of the Fire Horse.

My brief research into the Fire Horse gave me hope for 2026. It seems this will be a year of courage, momentum and honest action.

Let’s go!

In the meantime, I hope you all had a delicious and randomly kind Fat Tuesday.

I’ll close with this quote from Pope Leo XIV. As we head into Lent, I appreciate his call for the kind of abstinence that makes a difference in this old world.

“I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”