LAST DAY OF MY FAVORITE MONTH

My two favorite months of the year are October and May. Both, to me, are signals of change. October to me brings to mind beatiful trees, crisp days when I can wear my cozy sweaters and sweet, juicy apples. We love apples at my house - I think we go through one to two of those 5lb bags every week. Hey, it's better than sweets right?

November is my least favorite month - mostly because the weather is usually ugly. It's starts to get dark and the trees have lost their leaves. It is that time between the breathtaking wonder of changing leaves and the beauty when snow blankets the trees. I don't like March for the same reason - everything seems to be colorless and wet. Bleck!

Of course, today is also Halloween. I know there is a lot of angst in the Christian world about Halloween - do we celebrate or don't we? Is it bad or harmless fun? Maybe it's okay if we pass out tracts with the candy. So, a lot of places take the middle road and either do harvest parties or draw the lines at "evil" costumes like witches or devils. For me, Halloween is just a non-issue.

I have kids, and when they were little they dressed up in costumes and we visited grandparents and maybe about 10 houses in my inlaws' neighborhood. Nobody has had any interest in doing that for a good 4 to 5 years now.

Growing up, my parents took me trick or treating, but I didn't really like it. I was easily scared and prone to nightmares so going around to houses with cobwebs, eery lighting and adults who answered the door dressed as very realistic werewolves wasn't exactly something I liked. On top of that, we had those nylon costumes with the plastic masks. Those masks really weren't very comfortable and we lived in Michigan. Generally the weather was on the chilly side and those nylon costumes weren't much protection. I think I stopped by the time I was about 5 or 6.

The only issue I've ever had with Halloween is with the well-meaning folks who took it upon themselves to share with my kids that by dressing up as Bob the Builder and getting candy from a few houses they were worshipping satan. Honestly, my kids had no idea that Halloween was anything but costumes and candy until someone said something to the contrary. Personally, I don't know anyone to whom Halloween is anything but costumes and candy.

My only thought about Halloween is I do hope that we can all be considerate of each other, no matter what side of the Halloween debate we fall on. As for me, I'm going to revel in the last of the fall colors.

~ Blessings, Bronte