A Filipina Mom Blogger

Communities across the globe are joining in The Compassionate Friends 12th Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting today, December 14, 2008. In the Philippines, it already started at 7:00 PM.

Here is a simple memorial which you can do at home with four candles.

Memory Candles

As we light these four candles in honor of you, we light one for our GRIEF, one for our COURAGE, one for our MEMORIES and one for our LOVE.

This candle represents our GRIEF. The pain of losing you is intense. It reminds us of the depth of our love for you.

This candle represents our COURAGE – to confront our sorrow. to comfort each other, to change our lives.

This light is in your MEMORY – the times we laughed, the times we cried, the times we were angry with each other, the silly things you did, the caring and joy you gave us.

This light is for the light of LOVE.

As we enter this holiday season, day by day we cherish the special place in our hearts that will always be reserved for you. We thank you for the gift your living brought to each of us. We love you.

~From Holiday Help: Coping for the Bereaved, by Sherry Gibson, B.S., R.N. and Sandra Graves, Ph.D

You can also do the Memory Candles if you have lost a loved one (not necessarily a child) to help you cope the sadness during the holidays.

“Candles stay lit for one hour in each time zone, creating a virtual wave of light around the world. Like a ring, this circle of light surrounding the globe represents that there is no beginning and no end for the love we carry for our loved ones – especially for our children. It exists for eternity.”

Photos taken by Lauren