Good
morning!
When my daughter was eight years old, she created a
wonderful tradition. Seemingly out of the blue, Samantha asked if I
would take her to the store so she could get some "supplies." When we
left the store, we had twenty-five glass votive holders and twenty-five
candles.
When we arrived home, I still wasn't sure of
Samantha's plans. (She insisted it be a surprise.) She cleared an area
of the side table in our dining room and set each votive, with a
candle, in a line. Then she sat down at the table and stared at them,
while studiously writing some notes. The next day she invited us all in
and lit the
first candle declaring, "This candle is for peace." The next day, she
lit both the first and second candle. Each day she lit another candle
in addition to the previous candles, as she added to the "traits" she
wanted to remember during the holiday season. As Christmas Eve neared,
this grew into a twenty-minute daily routine,
which helped us all to truly slow down and remember what the season was
all about. On Christmas Day, we lit a large candle and let all the
candles burn for the day of celebration.
Here is the original list of Samantha's candle
representations at
age eight years old:
1. Peace
2. Joy
3. Love
4. Gratitude
5. Giving
6. Listening
7. Hope
8. Harmony
9. Growth
10. Understanding
11. Health
12. Trust
13. Those we have lost
14. Compassion
15. To Cherish
16. Sharing
17. Serenity
18. Freedom
19. Life
20. Friends
21. Spirit
22. Faith
23. Family
24. Celebration
25. Jesus
Your Turn: Create your own list of
holiday traits. Make a special page in your journal and add one trait
per day throughout the season.
Today's Affirmation: I take time to
remember and reflect on the reason for the season.
