Halloween, my forbidden fruit

When I was younger I was allowed to celebrate Halloween. My mom was very active in the PTA and threw the best freakin’ Halloween room parties. I can remember the costumes she wore on those days better than I can remember my own costumes. One time, she was a woman on a safari. She had on a safari vest and a safari hat and had stuck jungle themed Beanie Babies all over her, in her pockets and everything. I was so proud of her. I was so proud she was my mom. All my friends had a great time, every time and, and always said how awesome my mom was. I knew she was, they didn’t have to tell me.

One year I remember we went to Trick or Treat at a nursing home. My sister (who we will call “L” because I didn’t ask her permission to write about her) was just a little baby. I remember watching my mom really quickly, and almost out of nothing at all make a costume for her. She took a pink onesie with the footies, one of those thermal ones. Hot glued a poofy ball of fluff to the butt and painted her little nose and put whiskers on her. everyone at the Trick or Treat “ooed and awed” about how fantastically adorable she was. She really was too.

One year, for me, she took a pizza hut shirt from a thrift store, a hat, and a pizza box. She cut finger holes in the box for me to hold it. I was a pizza delivery girl. I still had that shirt ‘till I graduated High School.

Out of everyone I come from, I definitely get my creativity from my mother. She seemed to always have an unlimited supply of arts and crafts supplies in the basement. She just made magic happen for us all the time.

When I sat this year making costumes for my whole family I had a lot of time to think about her. See, time, and real life has happened and my mother and I are no longer speaking. It’s been that way for a long time too. Very strained.

Around when I was 14, I started having to pull together costumes for my sisters. It was really hard.  Then at 16 suddenly Halloween was “satanic” in my new family unit and we weren’t allowed to celebrate it anymore. It was ok for me because I was kind of too old to trick or treat, but I was sad for my sisters. I have those early memories, they don’t.  Now Halloween is “eeevil.” And the precious memories my mom was trying to make for us are gone.

I was always of the impression that every day is a day G-d has made, and if I want to celebrate the day He made, I can do it in a costume and get candy from people. So, I mean, if you are giving “the devil” credit for this day, you’re kinda taking the credit away from G-d for this day…………..not a good idea…..

A good friend and I were talking one time and he said the costume he remembered the greatest was the year the Ninja Turtles were really huge. His mom didn’t buy him a store bought turtle costume, but made him a homemade one instead. It had a huge stuffed floppy head that would flop around when he ran. He remembered that costume but, didn’t remember the nanny he had for years. His response to his mom was “well, she didn’t make me a giant floppy head Ninja Turtle costume did she?”

My husband’s family on the other hand, Halloween at his house was “AWESOME.” He tells me stories about how he and his brother Sean would dress up and go around the neighborhood, come back home and put on different costumes and go out again. They would have literally pillowcases filled with candy. Halloween is his favorite holiday. It is a big deal. That means thank goodness, we will be celebrating this holiday in my family for the rest of my life.

So, I aspire to make magic for my family, just like my mom in those early days. I want them to have fond memories that they treasure forever. Halloween is the one holiday you can spend with just your immediate family unit, bonding and learning about each other, having a really fun time.

Well, I gotta go make ghost sugar cookies and put the finishing touches on Tank’s mane.
Be safe out there tonight, kids with glow sticks and reflective patches! My porch light’s gonna be on and I’m going to have candy!

Can’t wait to see everyones “scaaaaawy costumes”!