What’s in a year? If you want the simple answer: 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours and 525,600 minutes. If you want the more complex, perhaps existential answer, it’s grief, joy, love, growth, anger and consistently fleeting contentment. The thing that defines that though, and what defines each individual, isn’t the best moments throughout the year; it’s our reactions to the worst moments.

Family members and friends throughout the Lunenburg County area gathered at the Victoria Public Library on Dec. 10 to remember loved ones who had passed away.

The ceremony was part of the 21st annual Worldwide Candle Lighting by the Southside Chapter #2060 of Compassionate Friends. Compassionate Friends, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, holds an annual candle lighting on the second Sunday in December.

Southside Chapter organizer Margaret Richards said the area candle lighting event gathered a larger crowd than expected given the weather.

Richards said she and two others started the Southside Chapter in light of several parents having lost their children, including Richards, whose only son, Jeff, died in a vehicle accident in 1991.

“As parents we were looking for somewhere to go to be with people who, you know, knew the same feelings and could help us through the grief process,” said Richards, who noted they worked with the national organization to establish the chapter. “It’s really hard to go through, and if you don’t have to go through it alone, then you shouldn’t.”

Richards said the event allows people to remember their loved ones.

“It’s just so we can all remember that we want their life to continue to shine,” Richards said.

I commend the organization for keeping the light of those who they lost shining.

Morgan White is a staff writer for The K-V Dispatch. His email address is Morgan.White@ KVDispatch.com.