Answer the door at Halloween with an Open Mind.
I’m not a big fan of Halloween. It was a fun event in our home. My father and his best friend would drive a group of us around our neighborhood and allow us to linger at each door inspecting our goodies, then we would race to the next door. We never realized until much later the reason for lingering. They were getting their own Halloween Treats ~ a beer or two! We had fun. The door was always opened by our neighbors with great smiles. They had Open Minds each of them.
But, I’ve never felt great about getting dressed up for halloween for some reason I always felt scared wearing a mask. But, I am forever grateful that my neighbors always embraced our efforts and rewarded us with candy. They always answered the door at Halloween with an Open Mind.
A friend of mine just posted this on her Facebook Wall and, WoW, it opened my mind! As the one answering the door these days, I’m forever amazed at the kids that don’t even bother getting dressed. The perceived greed in which they fill their coffers and the less than wonderful’thank-you’ manners. I will now, after reading this, answer the door at Halloween With an Open Mind.
It is with this open mind that I repost her thoughts:
“Tonight, a lot of creatures will visit your door. Be open minded.
The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy might have poor fine motor skills.
The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy might have motor planning issues.
The child who does not say “trick or treat” or “thank you” might be painfully shy,
non-verbal, or selectively mute.
If you cannot understand their words, they may struggle with developmental apraxia of speech. They are thankful in their hearts and minds.
The child who looks disappointed when he sees your bowl might have a life-threatening allergy.
The child who isn’t wearing a costume at all might have SPD or autism.
Be kind, be patient, smile, pretend you understand. It’s everyone’s Halloween. Make it a special night for each child! ♥””
So, how do you open the door? Are you spookey or scary? Sweet & Kind? Filled with inspiring energy for the kids?
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What a beautiful post, Laura. wow, opened my mind!
[Reply]
Laura Clark Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Oh, I’m so glad Debbie! When i read my friends post, I REALLY had an ‘ahha’ moment 🙂
[Reply]
Comment by Debbie Phillips — November 16, 2012 @ 4:51 pm