Life is what you make of it.

Happy Halloween!

I have always loved Halloween. My birthday falls so near, so my parties growing up were usually Halloween themed. I don’t know that I ever really enjoyed Trick-or-Treating… I was soooo shy but I did love making treats! I remember when I was really little, like elementary school aged, we always made popcorn balls and YUMMMM!!!! I remember the candied and carmel apples, though I didn’t really like them too much then. I loved picking out costumes.

When my kids were little we carved pumpkins, made homemade costumes, went trick-or-treating and trunk-or-treating too. We would sit by candle light or with flashlights and read ghost stories (nothing too scary) and we would laugh and have such a wonderful time as a family.

As they got older, we’d dress up, set up the fire bowl in the driveway and greet the neighborhood kids out there as we enjoyed the evening together as a family.

I know Halloween isn’t for everyone and it doesn’t have be, but it does make me sad when the haters put their judgement out there on those of us who do enjoy it. Like we are evil or celebrating evil or something and it’s not anything like that! I mean originally jack-o-lanterns and costumes were about scaring off evil. But anyway, I think as with anything, it’s what you put into Halloween that matters – the intention. For me, it’s about sharing with the neighborhood kids, it’s about family time, and community.

I’ve been thinking a lot about intention over the past year or so. What is my intent with this or that. How do I want to feel, how do I want to make others feel?

I had been struggling for a while… and one day I woke up and thought, “Sherri! Look around you! You are so blessed!! Your husband loves you beyond measure… it not always be perfect but it’s real and the intent is there! Your kids are amazing and love you. Your home is beautiful! If it’s not exactly what you want figure out how to make it so!”

And you know what? I’ve been the happiest I’ve ever been! Or at least the happiest in a very long time. I just decided that life is what I make of it, life it what I believe! I want to be happy, choose to be happy! If I’m grumpy, take a deep breath, look around and remember all I have to be grateful for and choose to be happy! Choose to see the good!

I’m not saying we should ignore everything else, I just don’t think we should dwell there.

So this Halloween, I choose to see the opportunities to be a community, to share with others, to meet my neighbors and make them smile with a treat.