Warning: Copious amounts of sappiness ahead. (I’m just in that kind of mood, my friends.)

I recently started this LARGE and glorious candle. I picked it up at a yard sale this past Spring, even though I told myself I had enough candles and didn’t need more. But then I found one that was 10 cents, and bigger than any candle I had ever burned. And I have very little will-power when candles are concerned.

Anyway, I decided that with winter officially upon us, I should get this monster started. So I lit it up. And then I just sat there for a while, thinking about it. A candle like that will probably take months to burn down, and it made me wonder what this particular flame would see over its life.

Writing is such a journey of unknowns. Sometimes the perfectly plotted story ends in tears and a full trash can. Sometimes the story written just to keep words on the page steals my heart and leaves me breathless with excitement. It’s always surprising, always a learning process, and I wonder what I will have discovered* when I reach the end of my peppermint candle.

Normally when I’m feeling stuck as a writer, I step back and look at how far I’ve come. But honestly, looking forward is just as comforting. Yes, I know the future is one big question mark, but that’s part of what’s so exciting about it. By the end of this candle, any number of thrilling developments might have happened, and it just makes me look at my peppermint candle, smile and feel ready to find out what those developments are.

I encourage anyone who’s feeling the stress of the present moment, to get themselves a nice cup of tea, light a large candle, and daydream about the person you could become when the candle is finished.

(Also, just a helpful life-tip that I learned the hard way: If you ever think it might be fun to take a quick selfie while holding a full tea mug, you miiiight want to find someone else to take the picture for you. Just saying, it could result in spilling hot tea on yourself.)

* Okay, does anyone else just love the future perfect tense? I get really excited when I find a sentence that allows me to use it!