Halloween was always a festive time growing up in our family. I loved this time of the year as a kid. The cool weather and leaves changing colors added to the festivities. My parents always were in the spirit of taking us out to trick or treat and my dad always joined us in being part of the action. Well, that’s a bit of a stretch, he partook in the holiday but had a little more sinister twist to celebrating.
As my siblings and I got ready in our costumes, usually home made by our mom, my dad would go on the hunt for his werewolf mask. It was made of thick rubber which probably made it difficult to breathe in, but he wore it anyway. It was quite scary, a snarling snout and wooly fur on the head. We would grab our treat bags, pile in the yellow pick up and head to my sister’s house. My dad never walked with us to trick or treat. Rather, he would just hang out by the pick-up truck and use his werewolf mask to scare trick or treaters.
One Halloween is embedded in my memory as a truly memorable one. At the end of the night when it was time to head home we made our way back to the yellow pick-up truck. We found my dad, wearing his werewolf mask, laughing hysterically. “What happened?” my mom asked. My dad replied, “I decided to climb the branch of a tree to scare passerby’s. Well, while I was sitting in the tree a young boy and his mom walked by. That boy was so scared, screaming and pulling away from his mom screaming, no mom no!” “Oh stop,” she sternly told her son, “it’s only a dummy!”
Fast forward over thirty years. My dad isn’t hanging out of trees scaring kids anymore, but he still loves Halloween and they joys of dressing up. I love that he is never too old to enjoy the holiday. Keep dressing up, Pa, your spirit is admired by us all.
Gazing North 