Candles in Windows

At my family Christmas gathering on Sunday, my parents gifted me a set of battery-operated candles for our apartment windows.

Years ago, when Ryan's mom was cleaning out her stash of stuff in her house, she gave me two candles for my windows. I loved how they looked and wished I had enough to fill all the windows. I guess candles just fell into the category of things I never got around to buying, but this year I found a set online and put them on my list. And now...I own them!

Ryan's mom always had candles in the windows at the cabin, and I think those added to my fondness for them. I remember all those long, cold winter nights when we stayed with her during her illness. She'd go to bed, and the house would fall dark and quiet as we tried to allow her to rest. She usually called for Ryan many times after he tucked her in, but we still kept the place as still as we could, hoping she'd feel comfortable enough to sleep for a while.

I'd walk through the living room and kitchen, watching down the lane for Allen's truck lights to swing around the corner. My own eyelids would be heavy from the log day and late night, but as I walked around, I'd pause to appreciate the soft flickering of those window candles.

They brought about a comfort I couldn't explain. 

Maybe it's because we're hovering in the week of the winter solstice when the nights are especially dark especially early. Maybe it's because we're in the thick of working through hard things with tenants. Maybe it's because I need a special dose of heart-comfort. Whatever the reason, I find myself drawn to homes that have these sweet welcoming lights in the windows. Homes that draw my eye with a reminder of homes I've known.

Whatever the reason, I'm excited to be able to add this same soft glow to our own home here at WillowBridge. I want to come home in the evenings, see the lights, and know that I'm home. 

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for our little candles. A homemaker is always making home, and now ours is a little sweeter.