The Candle Guardian

Greetings friends. Yesterday I took a completely harrowing journey. I had to go to Nashville to pick up Mimi from school. I had cancelled the same trip the day before because of an ice storm. We weathered ice, wind, rain, sleet, oh yes and let's not forget the pea soup fog, all hundred miles of it.  7 hours later we arrived home with a very happy Mimi. She immediately got to cooking and this momma went horizontal in the bed.

Which leads me to today's story. As I was trying to decompress from the Polar Express journey, I was surfing the net to watch everyone's St. Lucia videos. In every video there was the silent hand and arm that would steady the real lit candles of little children. This brought back a lovely memory of my mother who served as the "candle guardian" for my entire childhood.  One of my favorite St. Lucia processions is from one the most cherished music schools in Stockholm, Adolf Frederik's Music Classes. Please watch this lovely St. Lucia procession ( only 3 minutes), and keep your eye on the silouetted hand and arm that makes loving adjustments to singing children's candles as they head out of the Gustav Vasa Church. Here's in honor of all the candle guardians that gently guide us.  I wish all of you a happy weekend.

 

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff410/thelocalsweden/AF_lucia_2010_foto_Fern_Scott-olsson.mp4


Comments

9 responses to “The Candle Guardian”

  1. What a beautiful story Valarie. Mothers as Candle Guardians. That is an image I will take into winter with me. Thank you for this beautiful post.

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  2. Oh, Valarie! The tears are streaming! This is true beauty ~ the voices, the candles the emotion and your reference to Mamas : ) Sending love xo

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  3. Beautiful…. thank you for sharing this and your fond memories. Happy weekend to you also. And my do I look forward to the day when my children cook for me. How lovely!

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  4. Beautiful! Oh, thank you so much for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

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  5. I love that idea! Beautiful. Glad your journey is over now and you have your family safe home. xx

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  6. that is so sweet. I love how the tradition remains exactly the same year after year, generation after generation. I have learned so much about St Lucia!

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  7. A few tears here too…what a lovely procession. So glad you all made it back safely. I am experiencing some of your computer frustrations here at the moment so any silence is due to technological problems! Enjoy your family time and keep warm – Big Hugs Em xx

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  8. How wonderful to watch this, and to look for the guardians. That seems to be the role I play for my children so often. Guiding, guiding, guiding. Enjoy having your daughter home!

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  9. Dearest sweet Valarie,
    This is truly beautiful! Wishing you JOY and LOVE for a wonderful Christmas my sweet friend..thank you for all the blessings you have given me this year. Love to you!

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