During These Difficult Times, Let's Make Halloween About Kindness

Creepy costumes, ghost stories, and monster movies. Sounds like Halloween to me!

But if you’re a child, real fears can arise from those things. Add in all the worry and fear of COVID. Add in the idea that children may or may not have been attending school, depending on your area.

The children coming to your door will be even more worried about knocking on a stranger’s door this year.

As adults, we may take Halloween for granted. We understand that you walk up to a stranger’s door, knock, wait for them to appear, and then ask for candy. Even in the best of circumstances, this is awkward. Who does that? Walk up to someone, anyone, and ask for candy?

It is especially scary, and downright frightening for many children — especially shy kids or those with a disability — to anxiously stand there waiting to see who is behind that door. With all of the extra uncertainty this year has brought, let’s try to be more understanding.

Let’s have a little bit more awareness about the children that are in our neighborhoods and at our doorway. Let’s try to be more inclusive, and not judge if they look too old, or don’t say the right words. Let’s try to be more kind and graceful to the children as they come to our homes, helping them to enjoy, just for moment, simply being a kid.

Can you greet them with a smile and a compliment? Can you make them smile and be happy for just a minute?

Maybe this year, Halloween can be about kindness.

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about creepy costumes and scary things. Maybe this year, we can put aside differences and look to commonalities. Maybe this year Halloween can be about welcoming each other, and showing love for your neighborhood.

Maybe this year we can put some love and acceptance into Halloween, not just frightening everyone.

Will you?