I've always been a big fan of Halloween. This is partially because I enjoy being scared by things that go bump in the night. I especially enjoy the sights and sounds that help create such an atmosphere and who doesn't like to eat a little candy now and then. Nonetheless, last night was probably the first time in my life that I wasn't really looking forward to the Halloween festivities. Quite honestly, I had other things to do or that I wanted to do, and taking the kids door to door in the cold rain wasn't one of them.
But, then it hit me when one of our neighbor kids came to our door with the proverbial "Trick or Treat." Standing beside him was not only his mom (whom he lives with and who we know) but also his dad that we've never meet before. And in that one brief hour or two on Halloween, both of his parents were together again as a family.
It's amazing to me that Halloween could do that - unite a family if only for a time. If Halloween has that kind of power, to connect and unite people, then I'm all for it and I wish it wasn't a once of year kind of thing. I wish I spent more time walking around with my own kids and having "fun" with them and I wish other parents spent more time connecting with their kids every night. I wish every family and all of our neighbors smiled as much as they do on Halloween - the one night everyone has a chance to dress up and look crazy and forget about the pressures of everyday life. If this is what it takes, then I'm for Halloween at least on a monthly basis.
Anyone else out there want to start knocking?
