One of my earliest Halloween memories is of a skeleton costume that hung from the door jam of the bedroom I shared with three siblings in East Lansing Michigan. I was in Kindergarten and our Utah family of six was crammed into a two bedroom apartment at Michigan State University. My father was finishing his Masters there.
The small skeleton costume was my nine year old brothers. It hung there because of lack of space, and probably to generate excitement for the coming holiday. It struck terror in me. My brother thought that was VERY funny and did his best to make the most of it. He would put it on; hide in the room, jumping out of the closet when I entered. I would shriek and he would collapse on the floor in fit of giggles. I was a nurse that year.
I was a nurse many times for Halloween. I was also a princess, and a gypsy. I rarely opted for scary costumes because they were, well, scary. I remember my favorite costume of my entire childhood. It was a bride. I wore that one several times. The reason it stands out, is my mother let me wear her veil, the real one, with the white dress we fashioned out of a discard found at the second hand store. I remember showing up to Mrs. Milne’s third grade class feeling like the most beautiful girl in the world.
My daughter has never asked to dress as a bride. This year she was a gypsy. I will likely accompany her as a princess as we trick or treat on Saturday. It has been a tradition to dress up and take the kids through the neighborhood since they were toddlers. Besides, some things never get old. Happy Halloween and Trick or Treat!!!!
