To light a candle by myself is one of my favorite prayers. I am not talking about reading prayers by candlelight. The very act of lighting a candle is prayer. There is the sound of striking the match, the whiff of smoke after blowing it our, the way the flame flares up and then sinks, almost goes out until a drop of melted wax gives it strength to grow to its proper size and to steady itself. All this and the darkness beyond my small circle of light is prayer. I enter into it as one enters a room. My being alone is essential to this prayer.

Write a letter of love to this relative of yours.

David Steindl-Rast in Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer