The Candles Granny Never Burned

Browsing one of those junk stores looking for vintage hotel silver, I came upon some frightening stuff in a display case.

Moms, these are old candles. Yes, reindeer and caroler-shaped CANDLES, now probably over 40 years old, sitting in a lonely junk store. I suppose they will never be burned in accordance with the manufacturer’s original intent, because  now they’ve survived too long to come to such a casual end.

Were they to be purchased, I suppose they would just sit another 20 years in some collector’s home, carefully guarded from heat and exposure and never offering up the light they were made to give.

Perhaps Antiques Road Show would say these are in fact valuable collector’s items and are worthy of a place of honor among the usual decorations. Not to me, though. Instead, they are creepy reminders of how saving stuff for a far-off someday is just folly.

What a perfect example of Erma Bombeck’s “If I Had My Life to Live Over” reflecting that she would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

What did the heirs say when they came across these carefully preserved candles in a basement? “There are those stupid candles Mom never would let us use.  I don’t want them, do you?” Time has not been kind to these faded blobs of wax.

All this to say, use your pretty stuff with your family and friends. What are you waiting for?