In search of inspiration today, I looked back at last Halloween's newsletter note. In it, I bemoaned the holiday's effective cancellation by the coronavirus and admitted, for the umpteenth time, how much candy I consume. I also wrote this: "Halloween is a holiday for the very young, and I loved holding [my daughters'] tiny hands as they rang doorbells, carrying them home when they got too tired, and eating their candy after I put them to sleep. My guess is that by next year, if there's a real Halloween, I'll be relegated to hanging back by a block."
Well, here we are. Happily, Halloween has been blessed by Dr. Fauci and is a go. But I underestimated how independent my kids would be by now. Anna, at 14, has declared herself too old to trick or treat (though this TIME article from 2017 presents an opinion from an etiquette expert that teens can still take part, if they're well-behaved). Rosie, at 11, is right on the cusp: still excited to engage in it, but a little awkward about how. She picked an Oompa Loompa costume (alternately described on Amazon as a "sexy factory worker," which gave me pause), and we're still negotiating whether she can go out without me. But my heart was warmed by her childlike excitement when she headed off to her school Halloween parade this morning.
I'd love to hear about your kids' costumes and traditions, if they're of age. Or, if they've aged out, how you felt when they let go of the holiday. Write to me at andrea@time.com. I'll be hanging around, eating the candy we're supposed to hand out on Sunday.
Best, Andrea
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