I Will Light a Candle For You

The concert was beautiful. There was off key singing, forgotten lines, screeching band instruments, and it was beautiful. Nora did a wonderful job singing "The Grinch" with her classmates. She was so pleased to be on a stage in an actual theatre, so excited.

There is no doubt that one little darling stole the show. She was all of ten years old. An adorable little girl with blonde ringlets and the face of an angel. She timidly walked to the centre of the stage at the end of the evening as the audience sat waiting. There she stood, completely alone, in front of  theatre packed with parents and her entire school. As artificial snow fell all around her, she squinted against the stage lights to see into the audience, perhaps seeking comfort in the faces of her parents.

Then she opened her mouth, and she sang, acapella, with a voice belonging to an angel. The entire audience sat in complete awe. She sang...

light a candle
for the old man who sits staring
out a frosty windowpane

light a candle
for the woman who is lonely
and every Christmas is the same

for the children who need
more than presents can bring

light a candle
light the dark
light the world

light a heart or two
light a candle for me
I'll light a candle for you

light a candle
for the homeless and the hungry
a little shelter from the cold

light a candle
for the broken and forgotten
may the season warm their souls

can we open our eyes
to shine through the dark

light a candle
light the dark
light the world

light a heart or two
light a candle for me
I'll light a candle for you

I had never heard this song before and as her voice rang through the theatre I sat with silent tears running down my cheeks. Her voice raised the hair on my arms. She sang with the innocence of a child.  Her hands clasped nervously at her sides, a cherub like smile on her face, she sang. The entire school joined her during the last chorus. They held hands, smiled at each other and sang their little hearts out. Their desire to impress, to wow their parents was evident in the concentration on their faces. It lifted my heart and left me breathless. I could feel the stress, the worry, the anxiety melt away with each clear, beautiful note. These exquisite, innocent children, who are ours to cherish. They are ours to love and there really is no greater gift in life.

I have no doubt that come tomorrow I'll be back on the crazy train. The stress will worm its' way back into my life. However, for this small moment in time, I will treasure the sound of those voices echoing in my mind. I will treasure the pure, unadulterated joy those voices brought me.

Thank you, sweet, sweet children, thank you.