Usually at this time of year our family is well prepared with candy, treats and costumes. Decorations are put out at least a week ahead, pumpkins carved a couple of days beforehand and all the of costumes have been sorted out well in advance so that we don't feel rushed. This year however was very different.
For the first time, well ever, in the history of our family Halloween lost quite a bit of luster. We didn't have time to watch a scary movie or two or see any cute Halloween Disney cartoons to get us excited about it. We didn't really worry too much about costumes because no one really seemed to be in the mood. Our eldest son was the only one who didn't have a full plate and out of boredom put out the Halloween decorations for us and we used his birthday to carve pumpkins. This is the first year I haven't carved a pumpkin since I was a young age.
We finally convinced our 2 yr old to put on a costume and go trick or treating with us after quite a few kids had come to our door saying trick or treat wearing their own bright costumes and something hit me. When we, the adults, were children Halloween was exciting! You would create your own costume, not run out to a store to buy some light piece of material resembling what you wanted for way more money than you have ever spent in your life for a costume. Who can afford some of this overpriced crap when we have more important things to pay for! There's something about that. Creating your own. It allowed your imagination to run wild and when it all came together after weeks of working on it, usually because Mom was sewing most of it, you felt proud to wear it and show it off. To show off your own creation. No wonder our family is getting bored with the whole thing! There are no creative juices flowing everything is made for you and it isn't fun anymore as a result.
I remember loving to hand out candy as well. Creating my own costume and props and carving pumpkins to decorate the porch. One year we even made fake vomit in the kitchen. Was so awesome! We used apple cider vinegar so it frothed a little bit with a smell and people thought it was real. When you're a teenager there's nothing like freaking people out to see their reactions. I have always loved finding the pumpkin that came with a 'face ready to be carved' on it. Where just one look at it and you can see a creation just waiting to shine! Roasting the pumpkin seeds for a treat afterwards.
Even last year, our family was happy and excited for Halloween. We had dad on the roof with a giant spider attached to the fishing line scaring the older people and older kids giving them a laughing fright. We had a snake in the bushes that we attached to fishing line through the front door and would move it when people were approaching or leaving the house. We would get all dressed up in costumes we put together and take pictures in front of the house with our decorations and pumpkins lit up.
This year? Just too plain busy. Society has convinced everyone around them that if they don't rush and hurry they'll be left out. We used to be immune to that missing school and church things whenever we needed a break without a second thought. What's new? Guilt trips. There are more leaders in school and other places in our lives putting more pressure on us to be present for everything thinking it's only one night. Do you think that any of them ever stop and think that there is more to family life than one place to worry about or one night to worry about at a time? Do you think they take into account that we have others things to tend to as well including spending more time with our family to make sure everyone is doing ok? I wonder.
I care very much for my family's well being. I can take on a lot myself I actually love being busy.. But when everyone is busy in 7 different directions and there's only 4 of us that really have anything outside the house to worry about it's too much. How do you tell the world to breathe? Take it down a notch? Relax? Enjoy it a little? When you figure that out let me know.
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