My Candy And My Siblings

Coming home with a pillowcase full of candy that I could hardly carry was a delight. The moment I would walk in my eldest siblings would cry to the younger ones, "Dump it out, dump it out!" We would crowd around the table and deposit all candy into the center, splitting it between us, sharing.

After the age of twelve, we were no longer allowed to trick-or-treat. My Mom always claimed, "a teenager out on Halloween is asking for trouble!" The teens would stay back and man the door and the candy jar while my Mom took us on the night prowl for candy.

Last year I saw kids at a school party dumping their candy out and sharing. I was overjoyed; life is about connection, about sharing and having friends. These kids were embracing what I had learned...it is so much better to share and be with someone else than to have few more pieces of candy.

Last night I was baking Halloween cookies with my kids, another Halloween tradition. Even though I like eating cookies, the best part is the mess we make, the laughs we have and the time spent together. Sharing is everything, even sharing that candy.

Happy Halloween everyone!

–Allison Ochs, Social Worker M.S.W. , Coach, Expat, Mother of three, Wife

Photo by Beth Teutschmann on Unsplash