There was a darkened land. So dark that nothing could be seen beyond the length of an outstretched arm, and the inhabitants lived in terrible fear of their unseen surroundings. They had no idea what dangers awaited them were they to move about freely. Did giant balls of fire roam the land consuming anything in their paths? Would sinkholes open up randomly in the ground and swallow them up as easily as we swallow water? If packs of ravenous snakes crisscrossed the plains (if there were plains), they might unknowingly walk into the middle of the brood and become that day’s feast. Yes, safety was found in living in the confinement imposed by the darkness of the land.
And in this land there lived a single candle. She was the only inhabitant that had ever traveled the vastness, and therefore the only one who knew the truth of the land. She knew the beauty of the towering palm trees that gently swayed in the breeze, and the smoothness of the white sand that softly caressed her feet as she strolled the shore and marveled at the eternal stretch of water that made up all points west. She had visited the dense forests of elm, oak, maple and pine that somehow survived without the sun’s nourishing presence. From a great distance she had been able to gaze on the mountains and see the transition of the landscape from green and lush to bare, craggy rock and finally to snow covered peaks. She knew no hideous, devouring beasts lived in the land, but instead it teemed with colorful birds of flight, majestic chestnut, alabaster and golden horses, and great groupings of squirrel, rabbit, and deer, amongst innumerable variety of other magnificent animals.
She knew the beauty and the calm of the land but she knew it alone, for the candle shared her light with no one. When she encountered another inhabitant of the land, she quickly doused her flame before even she saw the identity of the other and moved off, remaining that way until she knew she was safely isolated again. It was a selfish, lonely existence that she initially cherished for its uniqueness, but eventually led her to question whether a better life could be found.
That opportunity came one day as she followed the twists and turns of a meandering river towards the ocean. As she walked, focused on the reflection of her illumination in the water, she abruptly bumped into something. Or someone. Or was it something? When she turned a flicker of the light of her flame forward towards the object, she realized it was a mirror. Not just any mirror however; this mirror lived. At first startled, but then curious, she moved closer and spoke a single word, wondering if there would be a reaction: “Hello”.
No response came from the mirror, which was shielding its reflective face from the harsh light of the candle. Slowly though, as it turned back towards the unfamiliar glow, its features became recognizable. The eyes, nose, mouth, the contours of the cheeks and chin, and the lines of aged experience looked back at her, not protruding from the surface of the mirror but contained within it, adding another dimension to the object. When they were finally fully face to face, the mirror said, “What are you?”
A rather rude greeting in the eyes of the candle. Not “hello” as had been offered or “who are you” as would be expected as a friendly gesture in its place. It was obvious to the candle that she was a candle, nothing more and nothing less. But given the circumstances, the candle decided to overlook the mirror’s lack of social graces and replied, “I am a candle. And who would you be?”
The mirror had no answer as it had always lived a solitary life in the utter darkness. It had never before encountered another living thing; in fact, its only encounters had been objects that were within the reach of its arms and none of these spoke, identified themselves or asked about the mirror’s identity. The mirror said simply in reply “I endure”.
With this the candle felt an unexpected chill. The two words held a certain power she had not experienced before since her days had always been hers and she had been her only authority. While still feeling uneven, seeing and speaking to another brought a rush of excitement to her and her flame burned bluer than it had before.
“Do you wish me to leave you? I know my light alters your world and since I was not invited to do so, I won’t presume that I am welcome. Just answer and I can extinguish and move on,” said the candle.
The mirror replied, ”I wish you to remain with me and share your light so that I may see.”
But the light is mine, the candle thought to itself! I have always owned it alone. In sharing it, I will no longer be unique!
As the candle churned this thought in her head, another louder voice that spoke only inside her took control: “Share your gift, for in sharing it will increase in value”.
Hesitancy stymied the candle. As wax poured down her sides, she averted her eyes from the mirror and then her gaze darted back to see what reaction the mirror had to her silence. The expression she saw in return – patience and understanding – was so comforting her uncertainty departed and she slowly nodded agreement to the mirror.
She had thus far shared only a small portion of her brilliance, just enough to illuminate their two faces, so she began to increase the intensity of the light to bring into view the landscape surrounding them. As she released her energy, the mirror did something wholly unexpected; it returned and multiplied the light, cascading it around them both such that more of the surroundings were visible than ever before without her full intensity. When she continued increasing the glow of her flame, she noted other mirrors nearby which were now catching and releasing the light she and her mirror friend were generating, illuminating the fullness of the land.
All there was to see of the beautiful world around them was now seen by all. They began to move about, to see and touch and hear each other and to feel the swell of joy that came with such companionship and love. The candle, with a simple act of trust and generosity, had benefitted itself and the many others who had previously been trapped by the darkness. The world was changed forever after the light was shared with all.
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