Happy Halloween!

Halloween has a lot of history and a lot of baggage– some good, some bad, and some commercial. People interpret and engage in it in all kinds of ways, but as I head into my first Halloween (since my own childhood) in a house, in a great family neighborhood, I can’t help but get a little swept up in what it can mean about family and identity.
A time when adults get to re-capture their youth, kids get to play at a fantasy identity, and they all get to meet in the middle in this wonderful sugar filled land of imagination and awe. I can’t help but believe that the openness we have on this night to explore, get scared, and interact with our neighbors in a time when most of our families end up living in somewhat isolated orbs actually has so many lessons for the rest of our year! So play dress up, smile at strangers (even if they wear unfriendly masks), say “please & thank you,” and allow yourself to let your imagination (and the imagination of those you love) get a bit carried away. Families in this day in age have so much to deal with, whether you’re trying to figure out your path to parenthood or talk to your little ones about how you came to be a family– if you’re fortunate enough to have family around tonight engage in some silliness with them, refuse to grow up, and spend a little time in Neverland!

What are your Halloween traditions? See any great costumes (we’re waiting in anticipation for NPH’s family picture again this year… wait… here it is!)?

Be safe & have fun! Happy Halloween!