Memories of Hallowe'en

Hallowe’en is coming and unfortunately some parents have forgotten that feeling a child gets when they collect ”free” candy  on Hallowe’en ;the sheer delight in that childhood ritual that children get. I think as parents we can take the good with the bad .If you had Hallowe’en as a child give your children a chance to experience that. Search their candy before they eat it go with them when their small and have groups and times to be back when their older. Let the children have this ritual and most of all have someone give out candy at your house. Let your children have memories some day they can write about our tell their children.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a child I had sheer delight and joy with the Hallowe’en I was six and now I’m sharing it with you below...

~It was two weeks before Hallowe’en when I was six years old I had come down with whooping cough. I was really sick and yet I still hoped to get better by Hallowe’en. The day before Hallowe’en it was obvious I was not going to be going out for Hallowe’en to everyone but me. I stubbornly was sure I would be magically better after all my siblings had been sick and they were all better ...sure I was the last to get sick but that didn’t really count did it? When my mother told me sadly the day morning of Hallowe’en I cried my eyes out. No Hallowe’en trick or treating ...no candy why it was the kid’s best holiday of the year and I had to miss it. My paternal grandmother came over and brought me a tall Tupperware plastic cup with a lid full of her favourite butterscotch and fruit drops.
“There.” Grandma said “Now you’ve got some candy.”

I thanked my grandmother but still in the back of my mind I was sad that I wasn’t going  out for Hallowe’en especially as I watched my siblings get ready to go out without me their pillowcases held high. I didn’t think anyone cared that I wasn’t going out for Hallowe’en. I felt really sorry for myself.Watching from my bedroom window when I was supposed to be in bed, I saw many children come and go to our front door for their trick or treat goodies. They were a laughing and happy and as I watched I grew more and more glum. . Finally after waiting two long hours for them to come back my siblings walked in the door. I ran from my bedroom to see what candy delights they had recieved (and hoped that my little brother who had promised to share with me would hold to his promise). My older sister Debbie was excited and said

“Guess what I’ve got?” to me as she bounced up and down excited,

“Candy ?” I said knowing the answer or so I thought

“Look .”she said showing me not one but two pillowcases full of candy.

“Some of the people asked me where’s Sheilagh? And I told them you were sick .They said where is Sheilagh’s pillowcase? So I gave them my extra one. So every house I went to I told them that you were sick and they I gave me candy for you. Look you ‘ve got lots of candy.” Debbie announced proudly.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had just as much or more candy than my siblings who went out for Hallowe’en. I ate a lot of that candy over the next month. I also thanked my closest neighbours and others in the small community who had been so kind to me when I was well enough. I also thanked my sister Debbie who generously thought of me when she went out trick or treating knowing that I was able to. How many other sisters or siblings  (at the age of nine years) would have thought about their little sister.Not only thought about them but would have collected and carry home candy for them. Years have gone by but I still think about that Hallowe'en and what joy I received from the kindness of others in the community, my paternal grandmother and my own dear big sister.

©Sheilagh Lee  October 21 ,2011
Please leave a comment below.Thank you