When it is light, remember others who are in the dark

Karen Hoffman’s table on the 7th Night of Hanukkah. Words from her: House of Remembrance and House of Peace were the first two books my pieces were published in. Having a Yizkor -Yahrzeit (Remembrance) candle rest on top of House of Remembrance tonight - and sitting next to House of Faith, with House of Peace nearby, my heart is filled with lots of emotions - and the words of many are in the pages of these books.

7th Night - The 7th night of Hanukkah is always a harder night than the others for us because this is the night that Alan's dad died in 1999. Following our tradition, we add a memorial candle to our candlelight collection on this 7th night. We have been taught (and we hopefully also teach) to remember our past, honor our loved ones, and cherish the many lessons and memories from our family members no longer with us. Many of our memories revolve around holiday festivities, so watching candles burn down on the anniversary of our beloved Marvin Hoffman's death is always a mix of emotions. Hold on tightly to all we have - in darkness, find light. And when it's light, remember that others are in dark. Be kind. Be compassionate.

Why do I include "feeling human" here? Because the array of emotions I have tonight remind me of Rumi's Guest House: "This being human is a guest house..."where we welcome the full range of emotions and remember that each has been sent as a guide for our lives.

This offering was written by Karen Hoffman. She is a mindful living guide, partner of Retreat House and retreat leader. Learn more.