33 Comments
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Thank you for sharing this! You have a million little stories…deep inside the well of your heart…keep sharing them. They give me life! Dad and I chose your name, Candace, because it meant “glowing” and “queen.” You have embodied both. May God bless you with a long life filled with LIGHT and LOVE! I’ll keep a candle burning for you today!

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Here in the arid intermountain West, wildfires are a very real threat when my birthday rolls around, so the dozens of candles required would constitute a safety hazard.

I’ve given some thought to solar powered LED candles with an on/off switch as I enter my dotage. And should I eventually require dentures, I wont need to worry about blowing out my teeth as well as the candles. It would be good to avoid the indignity of my dentures plowing through the frosting and knocking over candles like a downed alien spaceship plowing through Area 51 sand and sagebrush.

Also, as I advance in years, the LED birthday candles could do double duty as Christmas tree lights, not for a large tree, but fir a perfectly adequate tree.

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Where, in the Intermountain West, are you? I am in Utah.

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How beautiful!! I just love reading your anecdotes and experiences.. You make a simple story so magical and emersive, i find myself treading gently, barely daring to breathe, so I can honour the sacredness of your experience. Thank you for sharing, Candace. You are amazing! ❤🙏

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Oh and happy birthday, may this be your best year yet! 💐

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Happy Birthday my love!! Beautiful story!😘😘

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Happy Birthday Candace, what a beautiful story. I turn 50 this year, I am going to request 50 candles on my cake and slowly blow them out one by one :-)

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Happy birthday, Candace! And of course I love that your name means to glow. How appropriate!

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Happy birthday and may your candle burn long and bright!

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Absolutely love this! 🎂🕯️✨ Keep on celebrating- Happy “B” Day

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Wonderful Now I am going to do the same this next birthday in July. I won't really put 61 candles, haha! But I love this.

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Happy birthweek, Candice! Tomorrow I will turn 58! I was recently told by an art therapist that this is the last chapter of my life and that maybe it’s time for me to “wind down and stop wandering.” At the time, I brushed it off and kept talking, but these words have been echoing in my heart for three days now, mixed like bitters into various cocktails of anger, sadness, and ultimately, disbelief, that a cancer therapist, of all people, would have the audacity to claim such godlike vision. She has no idea how many chapters my book has, or even, as a poet, that my book has never been organized that way. My candle is still burning bright, as far as I can see, and long may it do so. I believe there is more than one book in me, and I intend to keep writing it by that hopeful light.

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Such a warm and wonderful story

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Happy birthday yesterday! I love your reflections in this story and the pink candles burning against the dark teal background. Your illustrated essays light up my day, Candace. 🕯️

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Another beautiful story, Candace. Happy Birthday! May you always shine brightly 🕯

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It may be a tradition in western countries. However, in India, we believe blowing out candles or lamps is bad. However, lately, because of western influence, people in India have followed such a practice. Life flourishes when there is light. You may see that wherever there is no sunlight, there is no life for the species in that region. I personally don’t like to blow out. I prefer to light the candles on birthdays instead of blowing them out.

I wish you a very happy birthday!!!

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Yessss we always leave a candle for long life 🧬 🕯️ Happy Birthday Candace! 🥳

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What a glorious tradition to keep one candle burning for long life! You're a light in the world Candace. May you continue to shine bright.

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