I wrote this in November, but it feels like a hundred years ago. I’ve burned through all of Ana’s candles by now, except for the biggest pillars and some votives. This makes my heart hurt a little bit, but it was worse when the candles sat around collecting dust.
“It seemed like such a terrible injustice that these objects of wax and fiber should exist forever, waiting for my daughter’s slender fingers to light them. That’s how the candles helped me realize that I was stuck. They weren’t waiting for her to come back. I was.”
Letting the Candles Burn Down – Mothers Always Write
At the start of autumn, we welcome the holiday season with rituals focused on light and fire. From glowing Jack-o-lanterns and bonfires in October to festive string lights, twinkling Christmas trees, menorahs, and wood stoves in November and December, we bring the light inward when there is less light outside.