Last night I lit a lone candle a bit over an hour before sunset. I’ve been thinking a lot about my past recently, where my DNA came from, who my ancestors were and where they came from, and I lit a candle to remember them. I don’t know if this is something my ancestors used to do, or if I’m starting something new for myself and whatever future I hold, but I lit the candle and watched the flame dance while it snowed outside and while I watched the USA baseball team defeat the Canadian team in the World Baseball Classic. If my ancestors did light candles every Friday before sunset, how many years has it been since anyone with my bloodline had done so? And what am I trying to remember?

The Aztec New Year passed a few days ago, and Día de Muertos is more than half a year away. I once tried to grow marigolds, and I will try again soon. It’s been many years since people I’ve loved and cared about have passed, and when was the last time I thought of them? I lit a candle last night to remember something my ancestors first spoke generations ago, and I’m now, finally, trying to listen.