I love candles. I have two sitting right next to me at my computer so at night when my little boys are sleeping and it's quiet in my house, I can peacefully relax and write. I'll take any candle -- although I prefer those with a strong scent and cinnamon is probably my favorite. I do have one pink candle that I like a lot. And it  just so happens to be a breast cancer candle -- I think I have just about every pink breast cancer product made and will eventually write about them all. This candle, from Pier 1 Imports, was a gift from my mom and comes in an iridescent mosaic glass jar. The glass is pink and the candle is pink and it even comes with a pink ribbon lapel pin. Twenty-five percent of the purchase price -- which is $14 -- is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research and outreach programs.

My pink candle sits on a bookshelf in my dining room, next to my scrapbooks and some framed photos. I bring it out now and then -- I don't want to use it up too quickly -- and enjoy the sparkling colors and the gentle scent. Candles melt away some of my daily stresses and anxieties. And this candle, in particular, reminds of me of my own breast cancer journey as it flickers with light and hope.