Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the light that lasts, the sacred lamp that kept burning long after the oil that fueled it should have been gone. This miracle of endurance happens over and over again.
When has the lamp of your own hope or joy or faith kept burning long after it would reasonably gone out?
Small change, small wonders – these are the currency of my endurance and ultimately of my life.
—Barbara Kingsolver
What small change in your life has filled you with wonder?
The last light of the day is often the most beautiful, as the sun goes down in a blaze of glory. But to enjoy the sunset you have to be able to also welcome the night.
What is your favorite thing about long winter nights?
In the Scandinavian countries a girl wearing a crown of candles leads a procession of light-bearing children for this holiday in honor of St. Lucy. Goodness knows the Nordic people need to usher in a little extra light this time of year, but it wouldn’t hurt for all of us to take a moment to honor the ones who carry the light through dark times.
Who do you celebrate as a light bearer?
The rules of who yields to whom can get pretty complicated. Buddhism suggests that we should just practice yielding in general, practicing non-attachment to having our way, so that we can accept life as it comes.
What are you learning to yield to?
