Slow and Steady...

I love this little turtle candle holder., for several reasons:

• My youngest daughter gave it to me years ago, when she was a little girl. She went on a school trip to Florida to swim with manatees, and brought this back for me. So the candle holder reminds me of her.
• It's perfect for holding non-scented votive candles, which I light when I write. When my attention, self-discipline or confidence start to go astray, I can focus on the little flame burning away.
• And the little flame makes me think of the childhood song, "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine," as well as the admonition to not keep one's light under a barrel. My writing is my little light, which I try to use to create stories as a gift to others.
• The turtle also makes me think of the fable, 'the tortoise and the hare.' Yes, I know that a turtle isn't the same critter as a tortoise, but thinking of that fable reminds me of another admonition: "slow and steady wins the race." And since working on novels seems to be a VERY sloooow process for me, I like to think that eventually, I'll finish the novel I'm working on!

By the way, the notebook the turtle candle holder is sitting on? The journal for my current work-in-progress!

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