I love Candles. . .
I love the actual act of simply lighting Candles.
I Love how they make a room look.
I love how Candles can make a room smell.
I love how Candles illuminate something in me that nothing else quite can. . .
especially if music is playing;
I love that one of our friends with their kids made candles
and gave Erin and I each one last week;
I love the flickering dancing of a small flame from a Candle. . .
Y O U ?
Go figure. . .
Hanukkah and Christmas Eve are NOT the same days this year;
. . .in fact, we are already nearly in the middle of Hanukkah
and it’ll end in the evening of Wednesday, December 20. . .
four evenings before Christmas Eve. . .
My favorite Hanukkah Story is one of my Favorite Christmas stories:
Right before sunset a young boy and his mother were about to light the Menorah and he asked her,
“MOM, DO YOU LOVE ELENA MORE THAN YOU LOVE ME?”
As the rest of the family gathered around to Light the Menorah, she whispered back to her son, “Honey, I will answer that question when we light the Hanukkah Candles.”
She lit the Shamash, (the Candle that lights the other candles of the Menorah) held it high and said,
“ALL MY LOVE IS IN THIS FLAME. I AM GOING TO GIVE ALL MY LOVE TO GRANDMA AND GRANDPA.”
She lit that first candle, held the Shamash high above.
“LOOK, I STILL HAVE ALL MY LOVE.”
“NOW, I’M GIVING ALL OF MY LOVE TO YOUR DAD,”
She said as she lit the second candle, holding the Shamash high above and proclaiming,
“LOOK, I STILL HAVE ALL MY LOVE.”
“NOW, I’M GIVING ALL OF MY LOVE TO YOUR SISTER, ELENA,”
she said as she lit the third candle and then held the Shamash high above exclaiming,
“LOOK, I STILL HAVE ALL MY LOVE.”
“NOW I WILL GIVE ALL OF MY LOVE TO MR. BENSON, OUR NEIGHBOR WHO HAS NO FAMILY OF HIS OWN,” she said as she lit the fourth candle and held the Shamish high to say,
“LOOK, I STILL HAVE ALL OF MY LOVE.”
“NOW, FOR MY FRIEND CATHY WHO IS IN THE HOSPITAL,”
she said as she lit the fifth candle and once again held the Shamash high as she boldly said,
“LOOK, I STILL HAVE ALL MY LOVE.”
“NOW, HERE IS SOME LIGHT FOR ISRAEL, IN HOPE FOR PEACE,”
She lit the sixth candle, held the Shamash high to extol,
“LOOK, I STILL HAVE ALL OF MY LOVE.”
“NOW, I WILL GIVE ALL MY LOVE TO CHILDREN WHO DO NOT KNOW FROM WHERE THIER NEXT MEAL WILL COME.”
She lit that seventh candle, held the Shamash high and confidently stated,
“LOOK, I STILL HAVE ALL OF MY LOVE.”
“NOW. . .NOW, MY SON, I WILL LIGHT THIS EIGHTH CANDLE. AND I AM GIVING ALL OF MY LOVE TO YOU.”
C O U L D I T. . .
could it be that one Light ends at the same time Another Starts?
Could it be that they
ALL JUST CONTINUE TO
f l i c k e r
on. . .
enlighten. . .
to the eye that notices?
L I G H T I N G
is a VERB
For all Seasons
For all Days
For all Moments
For A L L
Maybe. . .
Maybe it’s all about just when the
Wick comes to Flame. . .
m a y b e
it’s all about
O N-L I G H T E N I N G
and less about
E N D-L I G H T E N I N G ?
S O . . .
S e e. . .
B e. . .
F r e e
that magnificent Light
w i t h i n
for all those
w i t h o u t. . .
I T I S I N E V E R Y O N E O F U S
Let’s in our own way
Let’s in our own time
p r a y
Be ENLIGHTENED
To ENLIGHTEN
To SEE
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