Worldwide Candle Lighting - 2023 - Creating a Wave of Light

Sunday, December 10th at 7:00 p.m (your time zone) is the Compassionate Friends worldwide candle lighting day. This is a celebration of solidarity and memory.  It's a day on which people around the world gather to light candles for children who have died and to show that they will always be loved and never forgotten. 

The candles are lit at the same time in every time zone; everyone lights their candles at 7:00 p.m. in their local times zone.  This results in a beautiful wave of light, traveling around the globe from time zone to time zone.  It is believed that this is the biggest mass candle lighting in the world.  

When I light a candle, I am always reminded that even the smallest light can chase the dark. Think about what lighting millions of candles at one time does? It undoes all the darkness we feel in our hearts; all these parents no matter what age their child has died, will feel and know that so many have chosen to honor their child and they have chose to help chase the dark out of our hearts.  A fear that every bereaved parent has is that their child will cease to be remembered or that the light of their child will simply fade as time goes on.

A simple way to be prepared to remember with me and SO many other loss parents are: 

• Buy a candle (btw - I offer the most amazing memorial candle;)
• Set an alarm on your phone
• Light up the night with us
• Share photos with someone you know who has lost a child and/or share on socials tagging that person or if you don't know anyone, still light a candle for others and tag with a #worldwidecandlelighting2023 #compassionatefriends #butterfliesandhalos #garretthomasforever1

I will be lighting a candle in memory of my son Garret, my husband Jack, my brother Seth, and my sister in law Brooke, and all my loss parents out there that I know or have met along this grief journey.  I'll do this so that their memory lives on in my heart.  

Together we will remember. Together we will chase out the darkness. Together we will honor our child and remember that although not present with us they are not forgotten.  Never, EVER forgotten. 

Thank you for the support always and thank you for honoring ALL children who have died.  Because like the above says, TOGETHER we are BETTER!  

With Love -

Angie