Tonight, I will kindle the third candle of Hanukkah and watch as the flame flickers in the Ba Gua (Feng Shui) mirror behind my stove where the menorah is placed. On the ledge above it sits a blue and white Buddha whose arms are raised in joy to the heavens. For the past 17 years I have used the menorah that my husband and I bought that is made of stone. Somehow, pieces of it got chipped away and couldn’t always hold the multi-colored candles vertically and they would fall over. I would need to melt wax into the holders so they would stand upright. In writing these words, it reminds me of what was so in my nearly 12 year marriage. I attempted to make do and adjust in the face of the relationship falling apart. Ironically, he died the day after the last candle was lit back in 1998. It was also the Winter Solstice when the light was returning that he returned to the Light.
This year, I unpacked the menorah from my childhood that my parents had left when they passed and used it to celebrate the holiday that recalls miracles. It easily held the candles and they burned through without disruption.
For me, miracles are an every day occurrence, not relegated to a particular reason or season. A Course in Miracles calls them a ‘shift in perception’. When I look at events and people through eyes that see only love regardless of appearance, then I am in miracle mode.
Miracles are not just bells and whistles or lightning flashes across the sky, although I think that sometimes they need to get our attention any way they can. They are often as subtle as a whisper on the wind. I do my best to keep this instrument tuned so I can take them in.
Heard this song this morning that a friend had sent over. It is all about miracles that beckon us to celebrate all year round.
I Believe in Miracles by Julie Geller