A candle in Seattle

Dear Greg,

I'm a fellow student of Carrie's and have been following your health challenge through her loving emails. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this circle of compassion and honor Carrie for reaching out in this amazing way.

I wanted to let you know that I've prayed for you and your family many times over the past days. I've also lit a candle on my homemade altar for you. The candle is a beautiful beeswax candle that my friend Janie gave me, and it sits among many unique stones that I have collected from beaches in the Pacific Northwest. At the center of th alter is a piece of driftwood, to which I have attached many items of symbolic value to me- like a pea from the first peas I ever grew, lavender from Vashon Island which has many lavender farms, a Sandinista dollar coin from my year in Nicaragua, a picture of me and my sisters, a poem about Mariah the birth angel (who teaches the baby everything about the world and then right before it's born places her index finger gently above the baby's lip, leaving an indent and telling the baby to forget everything it has learned), a beautiful clay bead of a tree, and more. These are just some of the pieces of this world whose song is special to me. I'm sure you have many such connections as well.

I find that such items help me remember specific times in my life and that when I remember those times, what I really remember is the people that have made an impact on my life. My family. Strangers that became my most dear friends. Aquaintances that said a special few words, words that inspired me to see the world in a new light. Heros whose eloquence touched my soul.

I hope that you are in peace and not in pain, and that you may be able to call upon the memories of important people in your life to provide the courage to face this great challenge.

With much love and lots of hope, Meg Gluckman