This year, Halloween fell on the weekend, me a Geto Boyz are trick or treatin’.
Ok, that was only partially true, and we can only be friends if you know that song.
Halloween was Saturday, and things weren’t as sweet as they have been in the past.
I remember when me and the kids would go to the store, pick out their costumes and be so eager to prance around the neighborhood collecting candy from the neighbors.
Now, at 14 and 17 years old, my kids have very little interest in trick or treating – let alone letting me help pick out their costume.
My son, the oldest, could care less about Halloween. He just steals the chocolate from his sister after she collects it. Plus, candy really isn’t in his macro count now that he’s counting calories and watching his weight.
My daughter used to wear actual costumes - Monster High doll, zombie prom queen, or Disney Descendants character. This year, she chose to be a character from some anime show (which isn’t bad) but this person wore what looked like a boring school uniform. Not a creepy factor in sight. No bloody makeup, no wig, no weird eyes – just a uniform.
I mean, it was cute, but just not Halloween enough for me.
And let me be completely honest by saying Halloween is my favorite holiday. If I could afford it, I’d deck my home out with life-size horror movie characters, super-sized skeletons and all the scary things I could find. But luckily for my neighbors, I’m not in that tax bracket – yet.
I love Jesus, but Christmas isn’t my thing. All the gaudy lights that don’t match bother my soul. The fact that it’s super commercial and all about the monetary things and gifts just grinds my gears. I’ll buy a few things for these kids, put a tree up (that matches my living room), put up a few decorations inside the house and let that be it. But I’m not going to make it look like neon Christmas threw up on our home.
But for Halloween, I want to go big! Therefore, now that my kids aren’t really into it at all, my heart hurts a little.
But I was able to find some joy this year. I found a groundbreaking skeleton who talks for sale and set him up in the front yard about a week ago. And, Saturday, while the kids either hung out in the house or with their friends, I turned our front porch light on and handed candy out to the babies who visited our street.
Although, it wasn’t hundreds of kids, my heart was filled with happiness from the moment the first kiddo came to the door and said “Happy Halloween.”
His little voice struggling to project through his mask, made me smile as I gave him a handful of treats.
Thinking that he would be my only visitor for the night, I sat back down and figured things were done after he left.
But I was wrong. Our doorbell rang about 4 more times, and I ran to the porch to greet them each and every time. I complimented them on their costumes, and one munchkin even said he liked mine. I handed out bags of Goldfish, mini Snickers and Sour Straws.
“Are those Goldfish?!,” one baby asked excitedly.
“Yes, they are baby!” I said back just as excited because he loved my choice of goodies for them.
Each group was creepy in an adorable way, and so very polite – saying thank you for each handful.
And I love that for us.
I remember loving Halloween as a child. I remember being so ready to put on my costume. And I remember dumping my haul out to check for razor blades and opened wrappers. I remember constantly sneaking pieces of candy into my room and in my bookbag to bring to school.
I remember watching my mom get joy seeing the neighborhood kids decked out in costumes, and screaming when they realized she gave them a dollar along with their candy – again, my pockets aren’t there - yet.
Nowadays, the kids don’t go to their neighborhood. They want to go to the “rich houses” on the West Hartford line. Which to me, takes the fun out of the process. You don’t get to see the neighborhood faces and leave your community hanging.
Now that my kids are big, I want to see your babies. Whether we got 1 or 100 trick or treaters, I was going to be happy. Well full transparency, 1 would’ve still left me a little disappointed, and 100 would’ve made me run out of candy.
But I hope those 8-10 babies who knocked on my door Saturday night enjoyed what they got from me, because their quick visits warmed my heart.
Bring back trick or treating on your block. And blocks, turn those lights on and get some candy for those babies!
Show the munchkins some love next year, and if nothing else – yall can bring your babies to my house!
Auntie, will have her light on, and the skeleton will hopefully have some friends.
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