Ed, my old neighbour from Saskatchewan, told me he has his yard decorated for Halloween. He will be going out for Halloween even when he is 95, by a scooter if need be. This year two grandchildren will be visiting Ed for the big night and Ed will be able to dress up and go from house to house with them. My old neighbor was disgusted to hear we don't celebrate Halloween in our condo building. The front doors of our building are locked and trick or treaters cannot get into our building. Ed told me I should wait in the lobby in case any kids come and I should give them treats.
I told Ed while he was worried there won’t be any Halloween celebration at our condo building, I have other concerns. I have had a serious problem of having too much waist for my suit. My suit has refused to fit me for two years and I have had to shop for a new one. Yesterday when I entered a suit store the staff of young slim sales clerks smiled in sympathy at me and then ignored me. They seemed to be certain I would never find anything my size, but I did find something that fit. The youngsters at the till beamed in total amazement and said, "You did find something to fit, good for you." My wife said it was a bit of a miracle after looking at so many other stores and the sales clerks were not insensitive towards me.
On Halloween night costumes become the focus of attention. Children who dress up can briefly pretend to become something they are not in real life. To receive treats of various sorts while being a zombie or a princess adds to the fun. Sometimes it isn't all that great to be who we are without anything new or special about us on the outside. How much better will my new suit make me look? It might slightly help my appearance, but my new suit won’t take an ounce or an inch off my pear shaped waist. A new suit does not make me kinder or more positive to be around. In fact, if I know you well, I might complain to you about the price of my new suit even though my old suit was 20 years old. I did think of it as my funeral suit. Ed has insisted that he wants to wear his coveralls and a comfortable t-shirt in his casket. His wife Ruby says he will be wearing a brand-new, expense suit. She is not having the neighbours saying they couldn't even afford a decent suit. It is a discussion I have heard between them often.
Why do we live as if what we wear is so important to us? The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible describes that much of our lives are spent chasing the wind. We get carried away with what will never satisfy us. It states, “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labour that he can carry in his hand.”
Faith, hope, and love come from the heart, not from what we wear, whether it’s a costume or a suit.
