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In preparation for the Easter season, the Doucette family acknowledged Lent. This was a time to reflect on how the good Lord had suffered, and, in His name, the adults in the family would fast or abstain from eating favorite foods, or smoking, etc. At age five, Eileen spent some time listening to adult conversation.

One day she heard her older sisters and her mother talking about giving up sweets for Lent. Eileen had not said anything at the time. Later that evening, Margurita had given the children their bedtime snack. Eileen ate her bread in the same manner as she always did. She ate the middle part first, and saved the crust for the last. Margurita was also in the kitchen, and Eileen asked her, “Do you eat bread crust during Lent?” Margurita responded, “Of course, I always eat my crust.” Eileen passed her uneaten bread crust to her mother and said, “You can have mine.” Eileen really didn’t partic- ularly like the crust, and this was her way of avoiding eating it.

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