5 Beautiful Things

 

Candlelight

One of the first things I do when the weather gets chilly is go through my selection of candles, which I keep in a shoebox in my front closet. I choose a few colours that I think will work in the rooms I will place them in and light them each evening after the sun goes down. There is something so ancient and beautiful about a flickering flame, something melancholy but also something so hopeful.

In a world of full of fast-paced schedules, technology at every turn and often barely a second to collect our thoughts, one of the simplest pleasures is lighting a candle and watching that single, shining flame sway gently in a dusky room, catching the shimmer of silverware or the glint of a nearby mirror. Candlelight feels so luxe and yet it costs only the price of the wax and the wick itself.

I have candles on the mantel in my living room, a really pretty scented candle in the kitchen and several candles in the bedroom as well. I’m convinced that having candlelight in the home is one of the fastest ways to achieve a state of meditative Zen, especially during this hectic time of year. Besides, everyone looks their best in its soft, warm glow! Below are five images that will hopefully convince you to light a candle this evening – in memoriam or in hopefulness. The last three are photos that I took of the candles on my mantel last weekend.

 

1. Photo by Lauri Novak

2. Painting by Timothy Tyler