S-Hallow

Hallow. Hallowed be thy name. It means Holy, sacred.

Yet Halloween remains another holiday of irreverent shallow loot-ing. Another payday for bm’s. According to multiple sources, Halloween is a $10 Billion Industry of candy, costumes, and of course schools provide the pressured atmosphere to compete.

A school related memory I have was when my oldest child was in 2nd grade. I made his costume. He wanted to be Mario. I stayed up late sewing the last marker- the white M on Mario’s red felt hat. He was so proud to slip it on before the annual elementary halloween parade. I was taking pics when I heard some of his classmates making fun of his costume. Home made.

There are pressures to conform with business models even when you don’t realize it. It steeps deep, and with kids, indelible. A permanent scar. “It is through invisible hands that we are tortured and twisted the worst.” N.

Now, I like Halloween. I like dressing up (sometimes), and I like this time of year. I will not buy candy for kids, but I will write and read stories. I might dress up- reminded of the masks we wear. But mostly I would like to light candles, watch the moon and quietly remember. Remember all the people I have lost. Remember how grateful I am to be alive.

November 1st leads us into the darkest times of the year, literally; and figuratively, I light candles to bring iight to my darkest days. I wish I could be a light house. Students lost or wondering in the dark. Go from shallow to hallow- hollow to depth. Depth to the Soul-Full.

This seasons motto:

Buy Less, Be More.