Random Thoughts

It's time to write a blog I tell myself. And I sit here and I think and think and think, realizing in the end that I don't have much on which to update the world wide web with.

But, it's Halloween night and I am relatively bored and thus I will write...something.

Let's go with a topic appropriate to the evening: Celebrating Halloween

Now where do I sit with Halloween? Tonight Anna brought up an interesting question: Will I let my kids trick-or-treat one day? Hmmm. Now, growing up a family that did not support the idea of this holiday it was a rare treat for us to get to dress up to go to a church Fall Festival. I think I recall one maybe two times that we went door to door asking for candy. (What is UP with this holiday by the way?) As I grew older the idea of dressing up just became less and less appealing and I really didn't feel like I was missing out on anything by not participating. But, as I sit here typing this evening I recently stripped my face of drawn on whiskers and I still am sporting the fake eyelashes that composed my bare-minimum "cat" costume for work today.

Why did I dress up today? To fit in. When it comes down to it that's the reason. It wasn't particularly fun for me to look like a cat. I didn't think to myself today, "Hey, you know what would be great? Clipping a fake tail to your skirt so customers can ask, 'Are you dressed up for Halloween?'" No. None of these were the reason. The office thought it a great/fun idea to dress up to celebrate Halloween and so I decided to join in. To fit in.

Zach and I talked a little tonight about the idea of letting our kids trick-or-treat. Overall, I don't think I see the harm in dressing up like a little chubby baby pumpkin, or a beautiful princess or a mutant ninja turtle. There is something magical about letting kids live in a world of fantasy, if even for a moment. We all know how quickly that magic fades when you become an adult and the "real world" slaps you in the face a few times. However, as I think about the idea of letting our kid's participate in the holiday one day it presents a few questions. Mainly, is it OK for my family to participate in a holiday that my faith does not line up with just to fit in with society?

Don't know that I have an answer to that question. It's way too soon to probably even be concerned with it. But, it's a thought on this Halloween eve nonetheless.

It has been interesting to me to see my progression of thought over the past few years. I have a much higher respect for parenting than I ever have before. I think it's the idea of one day raising children of my own that gives me that humbling weight of responsibility. The things parents do to their children, the way the choose to raise them, greatly influences the people they will become. This is one of the highest callings the Lord can give someone. To raise children in the way He intended.

And, that is enough of my ramblings for now.