Thursday, October 31, 2013

"All I remember is, they had great candy..."

This past summer, a forty-something man was lingering in front of our house. I put down my gardening trowel, strode over, and said hello. He smiled and said, "Hi, I'm visiting from the west coast, but a long time ago, I grew up in this neighborhood." We chatted for a bit and then I asked him, "Did you know the Vances, the couple who built this house?" He responded with this life-changing comment, "I didn't really know them. All I remember is they always had great Halloween candy." In that moment, a self conscious half smile flitted across his face and erased thirty years. And just like that, I knew a torch had been passed. I wanted us to be known like that; known for abundant generosity and a sweetness of spirit towards the young. So it's movie size candy for the kids this year. It's fine if our names are lost to the ages if we can deserve this epitaph, "They had great candy..."

Movie size candy: $1/box from Walgreens. A bargain for all that happiness!