Octavio Paz invites us to picture a simple act: lighting a single candle as the day begins. This image is disarmingly humble—no grand gesture, no dramatic change, only a quiet flame against the backdrop of everyday life. Yet precisely because the day is “common,” the candle’s glow becomes more striking. It suggests that meaning and beauty do not wait for special occasions; they often begin with an intentional choice to introduce a little more light into the routine flow of time. [...]
