tradition – Sweat & Sparkle

Halloween was just better when I was a kid. I am so glad I grew up when I did. My brothers and I put on our costumes, then burst into the chilly night air, with Mom close behind, watching us walk up to each front door, knock or ring a doorbell, wait eagerly for candy, and say “Thank you” before strolling on to the next house.

I still remember all of it. The excitement. The cool evening. Debating with Mom about whether I really needed to wear a coat (it covers my costume!), then putting on my coat because I never won that battle. Smiling as people opened doors and praised our costumes. Checking the bag (after they closed the door, of course) to see what kind of candy we got. Comparing candy later at home with my brothers, while Mom made sure to tell us we weren’t eating piles of that junk before bedtime or we would have a stomachache.

Kids today miss out. It’s not the same. Trunk-or-treats don’t even come close to old-fashioned trick-or-treating. I get it, I get it. It’s not the same world anymore. That makes me sad, too.

I’m glad we got to take the kids trick-or-treating when they were little, and Halloween happened to fall on our weekend. I don’t know if they remember it, but I sure do.

My husband and I wanted to make sure they experienced a traditional Halloween, a real Halloween. We walked around the neighborhood, with them decked out in their costumes, passing other kids dressed up in theirs. That time, we were the ones waiting nearby instead of the one knocking on the doors. We were the ones making sure they said “thank you”. And you know something? For different reasons, it’s just as awesome.

Happy Halloween!

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, right up there with Halloween. A large part of it is that I devour history books, and I have a particular fondness for critical players like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, those with vision and dreams and a passion for this country. I like to recognize and honor the battles fought to become the United States of America in the first place.

Of course, another part of it is fireworks! My husband and I started a personal traditional years and years ago of taking a cooler, chairs, and plenty of sunscreen to a park nearby that launches fireworks for Independence Day. We are pros by now: we know what time to get there, where to park, the best place to set up our seats, which vendors to visit, which ones to skip, etc.

My older stepdaughter and her boyfriend joined us this year, and I enjoyed sharing this little tradition with them. Maybe it’s kind of silly, but our simple 4th of July tradition means a lot to me, so having them there with us and being a part of it made me happy.

This year, I wore a patriotic t-shirt that my husband got for me, and I love that he knows I can never have too many 4th of July shirts! He joked about being jealous of my star-spangled sunglasses and temporary tattoos, especially the one on my cheek. (Hey, I get into my favorite holidays!)

My stepdaughter complimented me and said I looked really good, and that made my night. I have focused this year on self-improvement and introspection and genuine, meaningful growth: not merely externally, but very much internally as well, and I believe it shows. Your heart shows through, and the truer you are, the brighter and more positive you are to others.

The night went by so quickly. I enjoyed it very much. Time to take down the red, white, and blue decorations and pack them away for next year…and start planning our Halloween decorations!