My Daughter Said the "H" Word...Again!

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones

It started a month ago. My daughter again became fascinated with it and since then I have heard this word at least once a day, more often most days, and it makes me cringe every single time she says it. I have explained how horrible it is, how it cannot be pleasing to God, and certainly is not pleasing to her mother! I have given all the reasons she should put it out of her mind. I have tried to not make a big deal of it thinking that she will give up, that it is a phase...but it appears to be bigger than the both of us.

I truly despise...Halloween!

If you are new to reading my blog, here are some thoughts I wrote down last year on this subject:
October's Thorn
Are We Standing Firm?

The Princess begins tactfully telling me she is not trying to upset me and that she is just curious, but day after day from the first of September the name of this unholy-day has been voiced. I thought it would be a bit easier this year because we have our TV service turned off, so no commercials about horror movies—I cannot tell you what a blessing it is not to have any invitation available to that ghastly invasion that normally crashes into my living room and stays unwelcomed for weeks upon weeks this year!—but apparently it seeps in anyway. First it was in a magazine that she gets regularly. Then the catalogs with costumes began coming. Then the stores had easily recognized black and orange items and scary green faces and cracking laughs, screams, hollow footsteps, heartbeats, or moans set off unexpectedly when you walk near those hi-tech motion sensor decorations. I am tired of it already and we still have the entire month of October to go through!

Finally, I said it. I said it in complete frustration of not being able to stop it from ruining another beautiful autumn season for me, from stealing my peace, from coming into my home, and from going into my child's mind and heart. I said we would celebrate Halloween. I was just as shocked that my lips formed the words with my tongue cooperating as I am seeing the words appear as my fingers are typing it out right now. I felt a wretched twist inside of myself, that warning that you have done something terribly harmful and wicked that you will never be able to take back. It was as if I betrayed someone by breaking a solemn oath, as if I cursed out loud in front of my daughter, as if I had spit on my Lord. I was immediately sick and in tears, but I hid this from my daughter thinking the next words I would hear: "Really? You mean it? I would like to be a princess!"

Then my daughter said, "Mama, no!"

Usually, she is not allowed to say no to me, but these were sweet sounds...ones that I will cherish, because in those words she gave me peace again.

I am not sure if she is just trying to please me, because she does do that sometimes, when she knows I am strongly against something. I am hoping she understands what we have explained as to why her father and I are against anything to do with it, even some church alternatives borrowing some of the traditions that seem fun and innocent.

We had planned to watch a movie and make popcorn balls and caramel apples, but we had not looked at the calendar. This year October 31st falls on Sunday and our church will be having a potluck dinner and games. There has been no mention of a trunk and treat kind of thing and I am hoping it stays that way. We can do the movie thing another day and I am sure the Princess will remind us.

~ My Lord, help us worship You daily in all we do. ~