This morning, I am seeking some peace, and so I found myself lighting candles around the Living Room;
some are my cherished Balsam and Cedar that bring me back to christmas morning long ago;
one is a favorite from the Catskills, Voluspa Ambre Lumiere;
and then the remaining candles are from a gift I received from a very special friend upon moving into my new house last year.
And in thinking of this special friend, and in reflecting so much about gratitude, I want to tell you a story, one that I have never shared before.
It was the summer, nearly five years ago. I was just starting my new job as a teacher at the school where I would spend the next four years, until just this Fall. I was paired with a woman with whom I had an instant connection. She was smart and funny, she was brave and she was kind. She still is all of these things (and more) but I took to her instantly. We bonded over many things that summer, like a shared adoration for chocolate chip cookies and toddlers, but she did something for me that I will never forget.
Because of her warmth, her light, I felt that I could confide in her my deepest of secrets; that I was trying to get pregnant. And anyone who is trying to get pregnant knows that the process is…trying.
And one day, as we splashed around with our two year olds at water play, she looked at me and said “I promise you, you will get pregnant. I know it. I promise.”
And really, how could she have known? How could she promise? But she did.
And that month, I conceived my daughter and got the call that would change my life forever.
And so I have been forever grateful to this friend, who gave me hope when I was feeling particularly hopeless, who gave me light when I was feeling lost.
So it was particularly appropriate that when I moved into my home, she gave me actual light in the form of beautiful candles.
So this morning, I light these candles, I strive for peace, and I think of this special friend, and am reminded to stay strong.
Because she always does.
And she made me a promise years ago. And I feel like returning the favor.