October 31, 2023

Happy Halloween! My mother was very good at making holidays special. Even today as I wait for the little ones to trick or treat, I find myself getting lost in those memories from childhood. I can almost catch the feeling of what it was like to be a little kid, excited to trick or treat. The first few years, she bought our costumes but in later years she was bolder and made them. One of her creations won me first place at the church Halloween party!

We always carved pumpkins and put them on display. On Halloween night we would order pizza, get into our costumes and trick or treat at my aunt's and then in the neighborhood. My dad would stay home and manage the door (he loved to scare the older kids when they came knocking). We'd get home and promptly go through our candy stash and give all the "icky" ones to my dad who happily accepted. I think she hoped that by starting traditions and making the holidays special, the memories would stay with us. I'm sure getting all three of us ready to trick or treat and then in a car and around the neighborhood was exhausting for her but we wouldn't have known it. In the end, the only thing I remember is the fun and laughter and her love. Today, she doesn't know it's Halloween or remember how she made things special for us, but I do. And I hold it close to my heart today.