Chanukah reminds us that growth doesn’t arrive all at once. It comes gradually, in small, steady moments of awareness. Each candle represents another layer we’re willing to see, another truth we’re ready to face.

Healing begins the moment we stop fighting reality. Life doesn’t always unfold the way we plan, and resisting that fact only deepens the pain. Acceptance isn’t giving up; it’s choosing to meet what is with honesty instead of avoidance. When we acknowledge what’s present—our struggles, our fears, our imperfections—we regain our ability to respond wisely.

So much of our suffering comes not from the challenge itself, but from how long we refuse to look at it. What remains unnamed feels overwhelming. Once something is seen clearly, it becomes grounded, workable, and far less frightening. Awareness steadies us. It returns a sense of agency.

This is the wisdom behind light. It doesn’t fix or change what it touches—it simply allows us to perceive it accurately. And accurate perception is powerful. It keeps us from distorting our reality, from minimizing what matters or catastrophizing what doesn’t. It allows us to move forward with balance and integrity.

As the candles glow, we’re invited to check in with ourselves. Where am I avoiding a truth I already sense? Where would acceptance bring relief rather than loss? Growth doesn’t demand perfection or total exposure. It asks only for sincerity—the courage to see clearly and take the next honest step forward.

That is how healing begins. Are you fully engaged in rededicating your life?  ~ Pam ~

***(picture taken around 1994 with my nephews, Jacob & Joshuah and niece Amanda, and mother, (in blessed memory) Veronica Frierdich…it’s been a long journey!)***