No Worries, I'll Just Be Sobbing in the Corner

               Tomorrow is Halloween, that most sacred day where creepy children taunt you until you give them candy. For over over 2 decades I have participated in the “dragging your children through the the darkened streets in search of sweet treats” ritual.

                Until this year.

                Yes, this is year that Halloween officially broke up with me.

                It started when my youngest was indecisive and vague when I questioned what he was thinking about for his costume this year. I didn’t think much of it at the time as we were busy and it was the first time I had asked. I figured he needed time to think about it.

                When I asked again a week later and still got a wishy-washy non-answer, I started to become a little concerned. A few days later, concern turned into full blown (internal) meltdown when I found out that he did NOT want to go out trick-or-treating this year.

                Um, excuse me? Run that by me one more time. Did you just tell me that you are abruptly ending this decades long annual tradition without any warning what-so-ever? Did you just throw down a milestone ending without even a teensy bit of preparation?

Sir, you are eleven. That is far too young to become cynical and jaded with the institution of organized candy goblinization. Who do you think you are?

The thing is, I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed Halloween too. Walking with the kids while they begged strangers for candy meant that we got to see all the amazing costumes. We got to chat with fellow mombies and deadies who are stalking their candy grubbing heathens too.

I guess I thought that, because his siblings all went out until age 13, that I had a few more years before he outgrew it. I wasn’t expecting to have the rug pulled out from under me so unexpectedly. I thought that I had plenty of time.

Parents like to talk about the all the first milestones…first tooth, first word, first day of school…but not one single person prepared me for the last milestones and how much of a struggle it would be to let go of their childhood. Especially when it’s the “last last”.

Because this child IS the ”last last”. That baby making factory has been out of business for so long that it’s covered in graffiti and has dust bunnies colonizing. Even if the factory wasn’t closed, those workers unionized and bargained for younger working conditions in their prime. There’s no chance they’d come back to work in this crummy old place. 

And I’m fine with that. Mostly. It’s just that I usually have some forewarning that this is the finale. This came out of the blue. Without any warning I have a tween on my hands. One that’s apparently too cool for Halloween. (Until he grows up and misses the carefree days of his youth and starts reliving the glory of Halloween with office work parties…but that is some time away from now.)

So check in on your parent friends who may also be on the brink of this transition. Because it can happen in the blink of an eye. Just be there to offer support and a small bag of assorted candy that they can sort like their kids used to do. It’ll help. I promise. Especially if there are milky way midnights and Almond Joys.

 

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