Posted 10:54 am Monday, December 08, 2008
Worldwide Candle Lighting Will Include Hundreds in East Texas
By MAEGAN McGOWEN
Feature Writer
Feature Writer
Tens of thousands of families, united in loss, will light candles in honor of lost children during The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting.
The local service begins at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at Crossroads Community Church, 13730 Hwy. 155 S., Tyler.
Candles are first lit at 7 p.m., local time, just west of the International Date Line, and as candles burn down in one time zone, they are lit in the next, creating a 24-hour wave of light as the observance continues around the world.
This year marks the twelfth annual Worldwide Candle Lighting, an event believed to be the largest mass candle lighting in the world.
"In Tyler, anywhere from 200-300 people attend," Sam Smith, steering committee member of TCF of Tyler, said. "It's for anybody who wants to come, even those who aren't members of the TCF. A lot of times it's not just parents, its grandparents, relatives or if a young person or teenager was lost, classmates may come."
The local candle lighting will be part of a special service that will feature music, lighting candles, and a slide show of "not forgotten" children.
A single rose will be given to each family as they light their candle in remembrance of their child.
Smith, a Christian singer-songwriter, has been participating in the event for over eight years.
"My daughter died in 1988, and since then I've been writing a lot of music for people that have lost children and I'll be doing the music this year," he said. "We'll start and have a prayer and I'll do a couple songs, and people will read poetry they have written or chosen."
Smith explained that the event is important for families because it helps keep the memory of lost children alive.
"It's another way we honor their memory," he said. "I've never heard this officially said, but around the holidays, it's always harder because you miss your child the most. Christmas always has a lot of family memories that go along with it."
According to United States TCF Executive Director Patricia Loder, the event helps unite bereaved families around the world.
"It's a symbolic way of showing the love we continue to carry for our children, even though they can no longer be with us physically," she said. "This candle lighting surpasses all political boundaries as tens of thousands of persons will participate in countries around the globe."
According to Ms. Loder, in the United States, members of nearly 600 chapters observe the day.
"People participate in many ways, some alone, some with friends and family, and some in organized candle lighting ceremonies," she said. "We invite everyone, whether or not they have suffered the personal loss of a child, to join in this moving tribute."
With the theme "that their light may always shine," the Worldwide Candle Lighting has grown larger every year with formal services last year in all 50 States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as approximately a dozen countries around the world.
The number of formal services has grown by more than 50 percent in the past two years.
"We just encourage anybody who is grieving the loss of a child to attend this candlelight service and try to get connected with TCF," Smith said. "There are so many people who have lost children who could really benefit from being a part of this group."
The Compassionate Friends has a presence in nearly 30 countries and is the world's largest self-help bereavement organization.
The Tyler area meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at Bridging the Gap on Hwy. 155 S., and the Athens area meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at 198 & Manning St., Gun Barrel City.
