Contemplative Halloweens and the Holiday I'll Actually Have

I am having one of those autumn seasons where I want to slow down time or go back a few weeks so that I can properly savor it all--but that's every autumn season for me.  It seems that Halloween creeps up on us, and suddenly we see an explosion of decorations on houses and displays of candy in the stores.

I would like a more contemplative Halloween.  Here's how my ideal day would be:  I would gather a variety of pumpkins and candles and sip my coffee while reflecting on the beauty of the pumpkins and the flickering candles in the pre-dawn.  I'd spend some time writing and thinking about the various costumes that I've worn in stages of my life while thinking about the coming years and the costumes I'll need.  I'd punctuate these times of contemplation with meals with friends to discuss insights we've had.  I'd end the day like I began it:  with candles and pumpkins and contemplations and maybe some candy.

But that won't be the kind of Halloween I will have.  I will go to spin class where we will finish our month long competition to see who can ride the most miles.  If I hadn't missed the Friday and Monday when I was at my retreat, I'd win.  I'm likely to come in second, but that's fine.  The challenge has given me motivation to ride harder than I've ever ridden before.

Today's spin class teacher will have Halloween music.  It will be great.

At school, it will likely be a day of many meetings, like every Wednesday tends to be.  My campus Executive Director only comes to our campus once a week, which means we try to get a lot of business done in one jam-packed day.

But we will have a Halloween costume contest, which is always fun.  It will remind me that today is my 2 year anniversary of coming to the campus. 

This evening I'll walk over to a friend's house.  Will it be a time of reconnecting or will the mad rush of this holiday overtake us?

Let me try to inject some contemplation into the day.  Let me think about the various ways that we can bring light into the gloom of our current world.  Even a world lit only by candles is cheerier than one without.

Let me remember to bless people along the way today, silently of course.  We are all yearning for sweetness, even if we're too old to go trick-or-treating.

Let me keep striving to balance my need for contemplation with my need for connection.  Let me keep thinking about my ideal life and the direction of my yearnings.