A Happy Halloween

I didn't get huge numbers of trick-or-treaters this Halloween, but one in particular made it a memorable holiday for me anyway.

I don't have children yet, but I'm aware that when I do, it's possible that they may have celiac disease, too. So that possibility's got me thinking about how to ensure they have happy childhoods, how to create positive experiences when celebrating milestones typical in their younger years -- trick-or-treating, birthday parties, and so on. I also wonder about children with food allergies and how their parents handle those events. I don't think children who already must feel different should feel excluded or end up with bad memories of what should be happy times.

All this was in the back of my mind when I purchased Halloween candy to pass out. I always try to get "good candy" -- you know, the Halloween candy, generally chocolate, that you horded when you were little, not the kind that you were willing to trade or that was left over weeks later, uneaten and forgotten. Remember the disappointment felt if you got more "bad" candy than "good" candy? I do. So I give out "good" candy. Likewise, I wanted to be sure that, just in case, I had something good for those children who might not be able to eat most candy, much less the so-called "good" candy.

So, beside the bowl of regular candy was a smaller bowl with allergen-free treats. I didn't know if I would need it, but there it was, a statement, if only to me, that gluten-free or allergic kids deserve their share of fun, too.



Fast-forward to the witching hour on Halloween, aka trick-or-treating hours, which in my neighborhood run from about 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. The candy was out, the jack-o-lanterns lit, the witch costume donned; I was ready.

Late in the afternoon, a crew of about half a dozen children came to the door. "Trick or treat!" As I began putting handfuls of candy into the outstretched bags, seeing what was being given, one little boy exclaimed, "But I'm allergic to peanuts!"

"Well, I have something special just for you!"

"You do? What is it?"

And he got a handful of Glee Gum, which is, among other things, peanut-free. Was I happy I had it ready to go!

He was, too, I think. As I shut the door, through the window panes, I saw him showing his dad, who was waiting on the sidewalk, his bag of candy. The dad waved.

A happy Halloween, indeed.