candy

I just saw a news blurb on yahoo that stated that peoples' Halloween giving habits reflect their personalities. Well, I guess everything we do does that...

I remember going to houses where the people only let you take one piece of candy - and often the candy they offered was the worst kind, like Necco wafers, licorice, or Tootsie rolls. (But with candy like that who would want more than one?) I never thought too much about what the candy - or the amount offered - said about the givers, but it fits.

When I was a kid we always got tons of trick-or-treaters at our house. Even though where we lived was a bit removed from the town, and the kids had to walk down a long driveway to get there, they always showed up in droves. Because my parents are just about the best Halloween-candy-giver-outers ever. They always have whatever might be your favorite treat (unless you happen to like the aforementioned candies... and in that case you have my sympathy, because somebody really should have introduced you to something yummier). My mom answers the door with an enormous wood-carved bowl filled with candy, and encourages kids to take handfuls. The usual reaction is disbelief. And then joy. (Amazing how a few pieces of candy can make a kid feel like they've just won the lottery.) And when the bowl runs low it just gets re-filled and re-filled so that all the kids get to have the same experience. And my mom never gets annoyed - even when someone gets especially greedy...

The article was right on target in this case. Because my parents' generosity is perhaps their most defining characteristic. It's one of the things I admire most about them.

Living in the city I usually don't give out candy from our apartment... I always think that there aren't many kids in the building anyway, and I like to get my daughter (and now both of my daughters!) to bed early.

But this year we decided to do it. I had already gotten the candy for tonight, but Scott didn't know that, and picked some up too - so now we have way too much... Looks like it's gonna be a Lemole Halloween on Riverside Drive.