Lent is a journey of preparation — of preparing oneself to truly give of oneself to others. We remember the giving of Christ to us for our salvation, and we want to remember that gift.A suggestion was made that instead of giving up something for the Lenten season, we should look for something that we could give that would be of help for another person.One person felt that it would be good to send an inexpensive gift to a friend to cheer her up. This was in spite of the fact that she was known for being a tightwad. When she entered the gift shop, she found everything too expensive. Then she noticed a glass vase that had been broken. She asked how much it was. Finding that she could buy it for almost nothing, she asked the store to send it. She figured that her friend would think it had been broken in transit, and she would get off super cheap. A few days later, she received this acknowledgement: "Thanks for the vase. It was so thoughtful of you to wrap each piece separately."If you are lucky enough to have some good friends, treat them with utmost care. Friendship is a precious gift. Be careful not to wrap the pieces separately. And may our giving be something of meaning, not just something that cost us very little.