This is Halloween
Okay, so it’s Halloween.
It’s also 2020.
So basically everything is cancelled.
Right?
I mean, that’s where my brain went at first. We’re not trick or treating, so what’s the point?
Except Except Except.
Trick or Treating was never the point. It was just a “thing” we did.
But now, things are different.
So I adjusted my mindset, too.
Our kids don’t need more toys, or candy, or things to do.
They need time with us.
So this Halloween we’re mixing it up. Instead of going trick or treating we’re going on a scavenger hunt. And if the kids find everything, they’ll get a treasure map that leads them to buried treasure (okay so a little candy is okay, how else is Mommy going to replenish her own stash).
But first they’ll run around outside, use their brains, and dig with shovels (I still need to tire them out so they go to sleep…my children are feral!)
And I’ll be there every step of the way.
Because more and more, if living in a Pandemic is teaching us anything, it’s that “stuff” doesn’t matter.
Don’t say that too loud next to the dumb quarantine purchases I’ve made though.
What matters is the humans.
When we went into the mountains for Sissy’s birthday, Banzai was absolutely distraught that, once he realized it was his sister’s birthday, he had nothing to give her. Sis was completely unphased and easily cheered him up.
Banzai! Yes you did! You’re spending time with me and that’s all I ever want!
Holy heck when I overheard my seven year old and my four year old having that conversation I almost burst into tears. She’s so right. Too often we fill our days with nonsense when really all our kids want is us, crouched down on their level, experiencing in real time.
How do I know this? Because Banzai, often, will ask us, “Can you come and experience this rock with me?” He wants to look at it, sure, but mostly, he wants to look at it with one (or all) of his favorite people.
Aren’t we all like that? When I read something that piques my interest the first thing I want to do is tell my people about it. When I see something outrageous, I take a picture of it, so I can share it again and again with those who matter to me.
Community helps us thrive.
And so, this Holiday Season, even though things are different and hard (oh goodness they’re so much harder) I’m making a commitment to myself to really stop what I’m doing and tune in to my humans. I feel fairly confident in saying, at the end of the year, they won’t remember all the things they missed out on.
Instead, they’ll remember all the things we did together and they’ll feel even more secure and strong in the knowledge that even when life throws them curveballs, what really matters, is our relationships with each other.
So my friends, Happy Halloween…and Happy Memory Making, whatever that looks like for you!
*****psssst, if you scroll down to the bottom you can see the scavenger hunt from I made. Two of my humans are in first grade so colors are on their spelling tests which is why I called that out specifically******
I’m finding myself spending less and less time on social media and am still navigating what that looks like in terms of staying engaged with all you incredible people but I think it looks like more personal emails from me to you. If you’d like to subscribe, you can do so below (don’t worry, your email address will never leave our farm).