Christmas letter story
Once upon a time, there was a candle. It was a short, red candle that was passed on for many years through many different households. It spent a long time in the back of cupboards, on tables and windowsills, used over and over again. There was nothing remarkable about it, except for the wick. The wick was a long, thin stem that many thought was too small and would not hold a flame. Once lit, however, the wick would burn and burn for hours and no wax would drip from the candle. It would stay lit for days and weeks and even months, and no wind, no water, no soil could extinguish it. The short red candle lived a hundred lifetimes longer than it's brethren because of the wick it held, and never grew an inch shorter. It saw many things, was held by many people, and watched as the younger, fresher candles outlived their usefulness and melted away.
As the years came and went, the red candle grew old. Though it never shortened, it became dirty, scratched, and oily from the many hands and fingers it had touched. Like an elderly man, it became painful for it whenever it was moved, and it could feel the paraffin holding it together creak with age. The wick, however, never felt exhaustion nor the sting of time. One day, the candle asked the wick,
"Wick, why did you choose me to hold you? I am old and battered, and I have lived for so long. Please tell me why."
The wick replied simply, "It is because you were chosen."
"But why? I have never asked for this fate. I have never asked for anything."
"That is not so."
The candle was confused. "Why do you say this?"
"You, like all beings that man and earth create, are born with a single desire. Man opens his eyes and feels the harshness of the world, thus he inspires in himself the urge to live, and to prove that his life was worth the pain. A fish will spawn from the mother's egg, tiny and defenseless, and will feel nothing but fear; it must gather courage to fight for it's life, and if it is strong enough, will grow into an awesome shark, one who devours the weak. You, candle, what are you?"
The question took the red candle by surprise. "... I am a candle, of course."
"That is right. You cannot move like humans or animals, nor do you eat or reproduce. You exist only to hold me, is this not so?"
The candle did not say anything. It felt begrudged by the wick's words, and resented it. Finally, the candle replied,
"It is so."
"Are you angered by this?"
It hesitated. "... yes, I am."
"What is it, then, that you wish to do?"
"I wish... I wish to have a purpose. I wish to help. I wish to be more than a simple red candle."
The wick responded, "That is why I have chosen you. You must learn to prove yourself as a part of the universe; everything that exists must have this opportunity. You want to become something, now. A candle is of no use to anyone if it will not hold a flame."
It was then that the candle realized what it's purpose was. Throughout the many years it had lived, the candle had been held by cold and shivering hands in winter, had lit rooms during dark evenings, and had warmed all those who had touched it. It had achieved so much more than the younger candles before it, and the ones that came after. The story of the endless candle flame would be told to many people, and held by many families. The red candle felt glory and happiness.
"I understand now. I was created as an object to melt and fade away, and I desire to serve my purpose so that I may rise above my hardships. Thank you, wick, for choosing me."
"You are welcome, red candle. Do you wish, now, to melt and fade away? You have realized your purpose and achieved your potential, yet you are still aged. What is your decision?"
The red candle thought for a long, long time. Eventually, it came to an answer.
"I will melt... after winter has passed. I want to warm a few more hands before I die."
"Very well."
The days came slowly, but the candle felt at peace. Finally, when there was almost no more candle left to burn, the flame extinguished. Left with only a few trickles of wax and no more wick to burn, the red candle settled into a dream and passed on.
~Fin.
As the years came and went, the red candle grew old. Though it never shortened, it became dirty, scratched, and oily from the many hands and fingers it had touched. Like an elderly man, it became painful for it whenever it was moved, and it could feel the paraffin holding it together creak with age. The wick, however, never felt exhaustion nor the sting of time. One day, the candle asked the wick,
"Wick, why did you choose me to hold you? I am old and battered, and I have lived for so long. Please tell me why."
The wick replied simply, "It is because you were chosen."
"But why? I have never asked for this fate. I have never asked for anything."
"That is not so."
The candle was confused. "Why do you say this?"
"You, like all beings that man and earth create, are born with a single desire. Man opens his eyes and feels the harshness of the world, thus he inspires in himself the urge to live, and to prove that his life was worth the pain. A fish will spawn from the mother's egg, tiny and defenseless, and will feel nothing but fear; it must gather courage to fight for it's life, and if it is strong enough, will grow into an awesome shark, one who devours the weak. You, candle, what are you?"
The question took the red candle by surprise. "... I am a candle, of course."
"That is right. You cannot move like humans or animals, nor do you eat or reproduce. You exist only to hold me, is this not so?"
The candle did not say anything. It felt begrudged by the wick's words, and resented it. Finally, the candle replied,
"It is so."
"Are you angered by this?"
It hesitated. "... yes, I am."
"What is it, then, that you wish to do?"
"I wish... I wish to have a purpose. I wish to help. I wish to be more than a simple red candle."
The wick responded, "That is why I have chosen you. You must learn to prove yourself as a part of the universe; everything that exists must have this opportunity. You want to become something, now. A candle is of no use to anyone if it will not hold a flame."
It was then that the candle realized what it's purpose was. Throughout the many years it had lived, the candle had been held by cold and shivering hands in winter, had lit rooms during dark evenings, and had warmed all those who had touched it. It had achieved so much more than the younger candles before it, and the ones that came after. The story of the endless candle flame would be told to many people, and held by many families. The red candle felt glory and happiness.
"I understand now. I was created as an object to melt and fade away, and I desire to serve my purpose so that I may rise above my hardships. Thank you, wick, for choosing me."
"You are welcome, red candle. Do you wish, now, to melt and fade away? You have realized your purpose and achieved your potential, yet you are still aged. What is your decision?"
The red candle thought for a long, long time. Eventually, it came to an answer.
"I will melt... after winter has passed. I want to warm a few more hands before I die."
"Very well."
The days came slowly, but the candle felt at peace. Finally, when there was almost no more candle left to burn, the flame extinguished. Left with only a few trickles of wax and no more wick to burn, the red candle settled into a dream and passed on.
~Fin.