Halloween

I have to be honest.  I have never enjoyed Halloween.  I was always made to wear ridiculous costumes, forced to go up to homes that I didn’t know, and beg for candy.  This was a nightmare for me.  I didn’t really need the candy at such great a peril. It just wasn’t worth it.

I am afraid that my attitude transferred into my adult life.  Most of the time I just pray to get the holiday over with as fast as possible, so that I can get to the good days, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I just couldn’t seem to understand why the night of ghosts and goblins was such a fun affair.  For me, it was just an evening to get through.

That was not the case this year.  I enjoyed the day doing chores at home and enjoying a beautiful New Mexico fall day.  As the evening came around, my youngest son put on his ninja costume, and was ready to set out on a search for some great candy.  My oldest son had one of his best friends over.  They were baking and laughing and enjoying life.  It couldn’t seem to get any better than what I was observing.

My wife and I started out on our usual trek with my ninja warrior loving son.  As I looked up at the sky and saw the beautiful purple sunset give way to a clear night full of stars, something came to my attention and caused me to freeze in my tracks.  My son was running from house to house.  Yes, I said running.  I choked up thinking about last year’s Halloween.  I was pushing my boy in a wheelchair.  He couldn’t have walked the blocks that we walked this year.  Here it was, the miraculous right before my eyes.  My son, who could not walk last year, was running this year.  I stood right in the middle of the sidewalk and smiled and prayed, “Thank you God, for allowing me to be a living witness to a miracle – my miracle.”

The evening turned into a very sacred time for my family.  We overcame a major battle, complete with enough emotional scars to last us a lifetime.  Yes, we faced our toughest challenge to date, only to come out braver, stronger, and wiser than we ever could have imagined.  Our strength is found in the divine power that rains over us and brings us hope in the middle of our journey.  Praise be to God for giving us the victory, and yes, for even Halloween.