Victor

Tommy's Halloween at 4 Years old

Once upon Halloween eve, in a quaint little neighborhood draped in the orange glow of jack-o'-lanterns, there was a tiny superhero with a cape too long and boots too big. This miniature crusader of treats was none other than my 4-year-old son, his eyes wide with the magic of the night. We set out, his trusty trick-or-treat bag clutched in his little gloved hands, ready to conquer each doorstep with his mightiest "Trick or treat!"

As we ventured from house to house, his bag grew heavy with the spoils of his bravery. But alas, the night was as mischievous as it was dark, and a tiny hole had begun to form at the bottom of his treasure sack. Unbeknownst to us, with each step, a candy here and a chocolate there began to escape, leaving a Hansel and Gretel trail of sweets along the wet, glistening road.

We continued, our spirits high, my son's laughter mingling with the rustling of leaves and the distant chatter of other costumed adventurers. Houses passed in a blur of spooky decorations and smiling faces, each adding to the weight of the bag, which, unbeknownst to us, was getting lighter with every drag along the pavement.

It wasn't until we returned home, our hearts full of stories and our feet weary from the journey that we discovered the great candy caper. As my son lifted his bag, expecting a mountain of treats, we found instead a gaping hole and an empty sack. His face, a canvas of confusion, turned to me, and for a moment, the night lost a bit of its sparkle.

But fear not, for this tale does not end in woe. With a twinkle in my eye and a resolve in my heart, I declared, "This looks like a job for... the Great Candy Detective!" The Detective was his grandmother who quietly slipped out of the house to purchase more treats for her grandson. As he sadly emerged from his bath, he let out a huge shout as there was a bag just like the original one filled with mountains of candy from his favorite Detective.

Through the years, the recollection of that event has become a tale of joy of the journey and the sweetness of his grandmother making sure her grandson had the treats he had so sadly lost. We realized that sometimes the best treats aren’t made of sugar, but of moments shared and memories made.