Near the solstice this year I attended a Light Party, an annual event hosted by friends in which each participant lights a candle, says their name, and utters a word or two of blessing for the new year ahead. Some words are requests for guidance, deep personal blessing, or prayers for the earth and her creatures. The group repeats the person’s name, and their words, followed by silence. Gradually the darkened room fills with light.

This light, both outer and inner, takes hold of our thoughts, uplifts our hearts, touches us tenderly, and ignites our desire to do the same for others.

At the end of the party one of our hosts began to hand out Hostess Twinkies® to her guests. All around I heard comments, “Oh, I couldn’t.”, “Hmm, no thank you. I am gluten intolerant.” and so on. But our host was not demanding we eat another thing, she began to tell us about remembering to ‘twinkle’, and that this particular product has a prodigious shelf-life. She was offering us an opportunity to remember our words of faith, love, and charity, to bring new light into the world. And to keep the light of our best selves glowing.

My package sits before me each day reminding me to shine, to sparkle, to keep going even when it seems too dark, too hard, too anything. Who knew that a Twinkie® could do such a thing?