Happy Halloweenie

  Hello again, and Happy Halloween :)

Portage has cancelled trick-or-treating tonight because of the weather, and has moved it to tomorrow night - hopefully it WILL be a better weather situation, because, as it turns out, tonight wound up beautiful. No rain and 6o-ish degrees :(

This is my son's 14th Halloween, and his first one not having an actual costume. I feel a bit misty over the fact that he is now a full-fledged hormone-laden, moody, know-it-all teenager and not my little boy anymore. I feel misty - and often like punching him these days!!

It's Rylie's 4th Halloween and she is officially an obsessed candy goblin. Darn it...looks like the era of Mommy and Daddy taking most of the spoils of tricks and treats is over!! ;) 

 In the midst of reminiscing about how quickly my children are growing up, lamenting over the fact that I am growing OLD, and trying desperately not to lose my voice while hollering and cussing at the kids and fur-baby, I have been thinking about Halloween. While some people I know are completely anti-Halloween for personal or religious reasons, others are celebrating Samhain, which is reportedly the time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest, therefore easing the way for us to make contact with those who have gone before us.

Now, here is the part of today's blog where I tell you that if you have extremely strong views for or against either of these beliefs, maybe you should skip to the end. While for me, Halloween has never been anything more than an excuse to pretend to be someone or something else and beg for copious amounts of candy, I find myself thinking more and more about the the Wiccan and/or Pagan holiday of Samhain. I have to say, while I am predominantly Christian with many Christian beliefs, I tend to label myself as simply Spiritual. I find that I feel a connection with aspects of many other belief systems - and the Wiccan way is extremely intriguing to me. I hope to learn more about it in time. I often wonder if there are many more people out there like me - people who believe deeply in the existence of angels while also revering the beauty of Mother Earth, and the thought of being in tune with the forces of nature. People who, like me, believe that our souls are eternal, and that each individual's PERSONAL belief system dictates what will occur after our earthly bodies perish. I believe that "cookie cutter" religions, where parishioners are told what to believe, are not appropriate for each individual, unique being. I believe God, or the Divine, knows our hearts. I believe worship and religion are innate, intimate, personalized parts of each of us that we need to discover in ourselves. Are there other people who think similarly? I welcome your thoughts...

Back to Halloween. I hope all of you spend this night in the way that makes you the happiest - whether it's gleefully downing your small child's booty after they've gone to bed, celebrating the thinning of the veil by attempting to make contact with a dearly departed loved one, or locking your doors, turning off all the house lights, and ignoring all those brave enough to ring the doorbell of your dark unwelcoming abode - enjoy this day that you've been given. Revel in another day of breathing, laughing, loving and dreaming. Because Halloween or not, today is yours. :)

Much love, my friends!