Rewriting Our Story

Halloween is magical because it is a day when we give ourselves permission to create a new story for ourselves. I’m a princess! I’m a wizard! I’m a superhero! It’s no wonder that dressing up for Halloween has extended beyond childhood and is now practiced by many adults as well. In fact, in 2018, around 9 billion dollars was spent on Halloween costumes, decorations, candy, and party supplies in the United States. The lure of creating a new story for ourselves is great indeed.

Halloween is a wonderful opportunity to practice re-creation, which isn’t limited to just one day a year. We all have created stories about who we are: “I’m Mom’s favorite.” “I’m a great athlete.” “I never get sick.” “I hate swimming.” When presented with evidence to the contrary, we expend a great deal of energy getting angry and upset and insisting that our preferred story is true. Instead, we can draw on the lesson of Halloween and rewrite our story so it is more expansive, more life giving: “Mom has a lot of love to give all her children.” “I’m grateful to have a body that allows me to enjoy sports.” “Being sick is giving me a chance to recharge my batteries.” “Wow, swimming is a lot easier on an aging body than other forms of exercise!”

God is always creating something new, and so should we, by rewriting parts of our own evolving story each day as we grow in our capacity to participate in God’s life of love, forgiveness, and grace.