Happy Halloween!

I loved Halloween as a kid.  When I got a bit older, I wasn't really into it.  Until I had a child. All of a sudden, I had an excuse to enjoy the holiday again.

It's F's sixth Halloween this year. It's been a challenge to get into it. The seasonal cues are missing: no crisp autumn mornings; no lingering smell of hops and apples in the air; and there definitely is not any of the commercialism of Halloween in Myanmar. We haven't even decorated. Shameful, I know.

Last year, we spent Halloween with family and friends. I'm feeling nostalgic. We had three Halloweens in the same city with family nearby. Each of those three years, we have pictures of F with her two cousins, just like the shot in the middle. I will miss having a picture like that this year.

Last year, F was a superhero. She is a superhero this year again. At least the mask is a slightly different take on the costume. I managed to make it for her...even though it looks more like a sleeping mask than a superhero mask!

F is more superhero now than she was last year. More confident. More knowledgeable. More grown-up.

Though we're missing friends and the way our culture celebrates Halloween...and just Autumn in general...I know F is doing well. No. She's doing more than well. She's thriving.

Happy Halloween from tropical Myanmar!