As my children entered the house after round one of trick-or-treating, spewing their spoils on the dining room table, I reminded them that I needed to check their candy for anything opened, anything dangerous, anything that I personally enjoy in the late evening once everyone has fallen asleep (only the latter was just a thought and not spoken aloud).
Which is why when my gym instructor asked where my costume was, I told her I was being an out-of-shape mother of three for Halloween.
I dismissed the kids to wash their hands and check on their hair and costumes, as I tucked away an Almond Joy, a Kit Kat, a Reese's peanut butter cup. It's all good. See, I skip dinner on Halloween to allow for the extra calories. I also walk miles around the neighborhood with the kids for three full rounds of 'treating' (let's just drop the 'trick' because I'm not seeing many of those distributed), so I'm exercising as well.
Halloween is a great night, whether it falls on the weekend or after school, whether you're celebrating All Hallows Eve or preparing for All Saint's Day, whether you like the scary or the sweet.
It's a day to see the neighbors you haven't seen since summer and a chance to meet the parents of the kids your kids go to school with. It's a day to say, 'Huh, I didn't know the librarian lived there' or get a glimpse through the crack of the door at a house you've always wanted to see (you know who you are).
It's like getting a free pass for the day to be someone else....anyone or anything else. Like my brother and his girlfriend who won a contest as peanut butter and jelly. Like my daughter who loves to cook and dressed as a chef carrying a stockpot to gather chocolate ingredients for a bellyache stew.
Halloween is a holiday where your only obligation is to NOT run out of candy (and if you do, turn your lights out and close the curtains!). It paves the way for the holidays in November and December, and, if you're like me, you'll save a few pieces of the good stuff to help you get through them.
