Happy Holidays

Little Candle

With the Christmas season quick upon us, I found myself looking at the new decorations to celebrate the season. The stores were filled with larger and more elaborate thrills and gadgets to deck the halls. It took me back to childhood and that once a year tradition of going to downtown Pittsburgh to see the department stores animated windows. The windows drew such crowds, I remember squeezing through all the people to get a glimpse of the
elves and dolls that would spin, blink their eyes and move in motion to the music. I had carried on the tradition for many years of taking my own children once a year to the city to see the lights and have our luncheon together, unfortunately our special meeting spot is no longer there, gone as so many stores before it, to progress and industry buyouts.
With the large impact of commercialization on our Christian holiday, I remember fondly of the little house we use to stroll by each evening, where one lit candle set each night in the window. That one small candle had more impact then any decorations before or after that time. It was the early 60’s and our neighbors son had been sent over to fight in the Vietnam war. She lit that candle everyday, patiently waiting for his return home, last I knew she was still lighting that candle each night waiting for the return of her son.
What makes each years holiday so special? Growing up in what I call a domestic war, the holidays brought peace for a short time in our lives. The short lived season where hope and faith seem to make everything possible. An inner peace, a calm that had you believing in tomorrow.How quickly time goes by, what seemed like yesterday mounds into many years. With my own inner struggles, there were times that I had forgotten that one little candle means more then the largest store bought decoration. In that one flame burns our past, present and future ignited with love to bring us peace.

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