May the force be with you

I am not a fan of the rain, and being out in it is something I actively avoid. Tonight, however, I gladly put on my Princess Leia costume (we do family theme costumes each year), tightened up the belts and boots on my fellow Star Wars characters, and took the kids trick or treating, in the rain, so that they didn’t miss their first uninhibited Halloween. No more fears of touching or accidentally eating unsafe candy; the only fear tonight for us was stepping on Aviv’s long, soaking wet Darth Vader cape. The kids felt free to accept any candy they were given, and when we came home, they engaged – for the first time - in the age-old tradition of pouring out all of their candy on the counter and touching, sorting, tasting, discussing and reveling in the sheer, innocent, childhood-ness of it all together. Ignoring the sugary artificialness of it all, it was a beautiful sight to see, and I found myself stepping back, watching them, and smiling. Hard to believe that only one short year ago, Halloween was still – like birthday parties and unannounced treats at school – an anxiety inducing event. No more, young Jedi; no more.