Holidays – Halloween

I have been excited about the arrival of the holiday season. Halloween is up next week and I am glad. It’s the rite of passage, traditions and turn of the seasons that I’ve always loved. It takes me out of this pandemic world and reminds me I am part of something – a life lived over decades with lots of wonderful memories and reasons to live.
The part of Halloween I find easiest to celebrate is buying and eating candy. My husband is the same. We are not big candy eaters to be honest. But this time of year and on through Christmas, certain candy holds special memories for me and if I ever needed good memories, now is the time. Unfortunately this is only adding to my pandemic 20 lbs gained and takes a lot of the joy out of the candy.

Halloween for me as a kid was all about the candy. Costumes, lack-o-lanterns, scary stories and trick-or-treating were incidental accompaniments.
I remember one year my best friend Kitty who lived next door and was a year younger than I, was a “gypsy”.  She wore a bright red (red was her favorite color) petticoat of netting with multiple layers and she had gold toy high heels and gold hoop earrings. I was very envious. My mom, who was practical and an excellent seamstress, had made me a clown costume. Her mom, who was more of a scatter brain but a great cook, had helped Kitty become a gypsy which had only beautiful connotations for us girls. Gypsies twirled in full skirts and looked sparkly. They were mysterious and beautiful.
Some people understand the idea of Halloween – it’s not JUST about the candy. It’s about putting on an alter ego and reveling in all its details. (I feared clowns and still find them unsettling). It’s about letting go of your everyday looks and personality and transforming yourself into something magical (or scary or silly depending on your take).
The “my life story” feeling started young. I find it about impossible to get the magical to burst through the practical. Getting that inner me past my outer armor of control.

Note: Night before last the Calm app sprouted a new sleep story – Halloween at Sleepy Haven. It brought back all the joy of being young again. I fell asleep about 2/3 way along (that’s supposed to happen) but in the morning I had to listen to the last 10 minutes it was so good.