Photo: L. Weikel

Light

Once again we have candles in our windows to celebrate and bring light to the season of the longest nights.

I’ve written before about loving this particular aspect of the coming holidays. Between candles in the windows and lights on the tree, I could spend hours just sitting with a good book or a journal, or even with nothing at all but my thoughts, feelings, and memories.

I find it very easy to get lost in the flicker of a flame. Sometimes, I fall even deeper into a reverie when the flame holds eerily still for just enough time to lose track of all time.

Fire

Speaking of loving the flame, I also respect it. I realize just how powerful it is: full of the power to enlighten and also full of power to destroy and lay waste.

I’m reminded of that by the deeply unsettling knowledge that a good friend of mine and her kids were forced to evacuate their home in Southern California again within the past day or so due to uncontrolled wildfire known as the Bond Fire.

I say ‘again’ because they were also evacuated over a month ago as a result of a different wildfire.

There’s a lot going on in so many people’s lives. We all need each other more than ever now.

(T-357)