I am that person who has never liked Halloween. And I still don’t really get it. I don’t like scary things or cheap, plastic spiders, I’m not a huge candy fan, and I have always hated wearing costumes (ugh!). But since I have a seven and almost three year-old, I was out there with the best of them tonight, and as long as there’s no pressure to dress up, I’m good. In fact, it was really fun. The kids made it so.Sage had three costume options – a doctor, a ladybug, and a giraffe – all of which have seen some face time over the last couple weeks. Alas, tonight the giraffe won out – it was warm and it was easy. Taggart wanted to be something scary – seriously scary. A bit harder to resolve since he’s seven and in my eyes seven isn’t quite old enough to be really scary, we settled for an “escaped convict” costume we found on-line. A compromise of sorts, it was still pretty creepy.
So there we were, out on the town and we go to this great little neighborhood a few minutes from our house. They essentially close the roads, everyone is out in their yards and in the streets, and decorations are as over-the-top as I’ve seen. These people LOVE Halloween. And I’m glad. Because I don’t but I’m happy to come share in their fun and to have my kids share in other people’s love for the holiday I could do without.
But the best part, truly, is seeing the excitement in my kids as Taggart sprints from one house to the next and Sage giggles and says, “Mama, I didn’t know puppies could dress up!” And yes they could – we saw an Oscar Mayer wiener dog, a bumblebee, and a witch. Sage also grabbed my hand and said in a very grown-up way, “Mom? Don’t you just love all the colors of the leaves?” Yes, the innocence and wonder of the holiday, I’ll keep . . . It was in contemplating Halloween’s meaning and trying to reconcile how my brother’s girlfriend Maria swears that to her it’s better than her birthday or Christmas, that I got clear on my own favorite holiday. And, lucky for me, it’s right around the corner.
Thanksgiving has become the holiday I cherish most. The symbolism of giving thanks for all of our blessings and sharing that thanks giving with the people I love is what has become most important to me. The true meaning of so many holidays has gotten lost in the materialistic shuffle of consumer America but Thanksgiving has done well to hold its own. This makes me happy.
And, as a way to honor Thanksgiving – and to stay focused on what truly matters – I am committing to posting to my blog a detail each day for which I am thankful. My blessings are bountiful – big and small. And even when I feel too tired or small or unappreciative, they are there. And I want to magnify them. A month of blessings, if you will. Please join me if you’d like – add to my posts as you see fit. Perhaps we can create a garden of blessings together - a patchwork of posts where we highlight what is precious to us, grow in our appreciation of each other’s gifts, and remind each other of how connected we all really are.
