This time of year is always a difficult one for me. For the last 10 years or so, I have battled with my "stance" on Halloween. I have been a "waffler" more than not, allowing my girls to participate in the "festivities" one year, then changing my mind the next year, depending upon how "spiritual" I feel. My friends vary across the board on this as well, illustrating clearly the wide range of feelings people have about the holiday.
I dread this time of year because I feel like I really need to take a firm stance on Halloween and I never do. Sometimes I feel like:
1)"What's the harm in it? I ended up OK, and I did Halloween every year. I loved dressing up in costumes and going door to door for candy. My mom made most of my costumes for me....nothing plastic or store bought for her daughter!!! Why should I take away this fun memory from my daughters?"
2) But...being a follower of Christ means pursuing Him and pleasing Him in every area of my life. If there is any holiday that could be looked upon as "Anti-God," it has become Halloween. I don't want to do anything that contradicts my relationship with Him.
3) But...what about connecting with people in your community? You don't want the girls to be so sheltered that they cannot relate to anyone that doesn't possess the same beliefs as they do.
4) But...don't you want your girls to be able to experience what it is like to stand for something you believe in (or in this case, don't believe in), and not waiver? To stand strong against something that is viewed upon by many Christians as utterly evil?
And so it goes....every year I have this conversation with myself. This year, Gregg and I decided to leave it up to the girls. If they wanted to go, we would allow it, and help them come up with a costume. We told them yesterday. Nothing like giving them a lot of notice, right? I truly expected to witness pure elation on their faces as we gave them the OK. I was already preparing in my mind what costumes we would try to come up with at this late of date. Strangely enough, they both shared with us that they didn't want to do it. Absolutely shocking! I even asked them again this morning, just to be sure. No change. I don't know why exactly, but I am not going to question it. My mother heart tells me they are probably battling with it, much in the same way I do. So, I think we are going to go bowling instead. That solves that issue....for at least another 364 days. :)
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