As I sit here this morning, the soothing music swells in the background while my candles flicker their luster. It brings to my mind the light we flash to our children.

Some days my glow is rather dim. Other days my wick is cut too short and the flame blows out time after time. These are not my shining moments as a mom, but it is from these moments that I learn and grow.

Did we take time to listen or just spout our thoughts? Were we exhausted? Did we take on too many commitments that now have us overwhelmed? Are we weary in need of renewal? Where did it all go wrong?

The difficulty comes in that life doesn’t afford extra time for pondering. It races to the next task or the next problem to solve. But as parents, we need to take time for evaluation in order to restore the luster in our light.

The light from my candle grows dim when it’s at the bottom of the wick and it needs some rejuvenation. To parent on empty ensures I will spew out the attitudes I care not to spurt. With a short wick, I need to scrap away the wax engulfing the wick to allow it room to glow once again. These are the times I take out my calendar and start erasing.

When we take a few moments to look at what is behind our fading shimmer, the flame can rise and sparkle once again.