Whispering with Biscuits and Candles

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Our current focus at Interior Inspirations is “A Home That Whispers I Love You.” When I think of “whisper,” I think of something gentle, soft, and subtle. In this season of raising three young children, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the basic tasks of keeping a home, much less trying to think of creative and meaningful gestures to say “I love you!”

It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game, not only with those in our same stage of life, but even women who are in completely different chapters! Our very own Lisa Rippy casually mentioned that she gets up VERY early in the mornings and prepares a full, hearty breakfast. Several of us immediately felt pangs of guilt.

I’m not even close to getting up that early!

I’m doing well to throw cereal in a bowl!

I’m such a failure! 

How did we go from hearing a casual in-passing comment from Lisa to beating ourselves up over BISCUITS?

This discussion came up in our team and we immediately got to the crux of the issue. This isn’t about biscuits, for heaven’s sake. This is about the motive and heart behind Lisa’s ACT of making biscuits for her husband. It’s something that she can do in this season of her life to show love to her husband. This will mean many different things to many different people.

So I got to thinking. . .what’s something that I do that’s easy, doesn’t take much time, and would let my husband know that I love him? And it dawned on me:

I light a candle.

My husband’s hours at work are unpredictable, and he never comes home at the same time each day. But he always sends me a text when he leaves work, and so I know I have about 20 minutes. I try to straighten the kitchen, because that’s the first view he sees when he walks in the door. But even if I don’t get that done. . .

I light a candle.

Lysa Stanton of the Westlake Bay Village Observer shared the significance of lighting candles:

Placing a burning candle in one’s window is a common tradition that dates back to colonial times. Candle light often evokes the warmth of home and family. The fireplace was center of family life in days gone by, and thus the candle was generally lit from that fire.

The candle was often placed in the window when a member of the family was away. The lit candle was also placed in the window as a sign of good news or as a beacon to weary travelers. Candles also represented friendship and were seen as a sign of welcome to others.

In early America, homes were often miles apart. The sight of a candle in a window from a distance was a sign of “welcome” to those wishing to visit. Many people today only associate candles in the window as a Christmas tradition. Yet, look around our community at night, and you will see electric candles placed in the windows of more and more homes during all seasons of the year.

 

By taking 2 seconds to light a candle, I’m whispering “Welcome home. We missed you, and we’re so glad you’re back!”

I won’t be able to accomplish all of the things other women are doing to whisper “I love you.” But honestly, wouldn’t that be weird? To copy verbatim other women in how they tell THEIR husband “I love you”? Of course we can gather suggestions and ideas, but our marriages are each unique and special; let’s focus on what WE can do in our specific season of life. If you’re like me and short on time and (often) energy, a little candle goes a long way!

And for what it’s worth. . .I’m perfecting my biscuit recipe for later. 🙂

“There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle”- Robert Alden

Posted in

lisa rippy

Leave a Comment





Subscribe to Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest thoughts and ideas from Interior Inspirations!
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Categories