Lessons Learned on Halloween Past

I love autumn, when cool nights carry with them the promise of a vibrant fall, and the chance to gather together as a family—first at Thanksgiving, then Christmas. But as a child, I loved Halloween best of all. I’d plan for days, trying to come up with a clever costume. My friends and I were costume snobs, looking down on anyone who had to wear a store bought outfit. Our costumes were as homemade as the fun we had on Saturday afternoons.

Halloween wasn’t just a one-night event either. There’d be at least one Halloween carnival, a class party, another at church, and possibly one at a friend’s house. Each one required a costume. Some years I’d wear a different costume to each event. Others, I’d use the earlier gatherings as a rehearsal for the big finale, Halloween night.

What made it such a big event? It was the candy—of course. We’d spend as long as possible out Halloween night, and then the next day comparing our loot. Sometimes we got a load of the good stuff, and other times not so much. We’d trade for our favorites and find ourselves torn between wanting to make it last till Christmas or eat as much as possible.

But, before anyone could get any candy, we had to knock on the door. Even tiny toddlers were taken by the hand or carried in parents’ arms and taught to knock.

Why? Because, as any child who’s ever been out for Trick-or-Treat knows, not knocking means not receiving. 

So what do you want to do during this time of your life? Whatever it is, go for it, and don't let a lack of action keep you from chasing your dream.