Dash of Delight

October 23, 2025

When I was a kid, Halloween came alive at my Aunt Joan’s house.

Aunt Joan didn’t have kids of her own, but you'd never know it. Every October, her house turned into a Halloween wonderland: skeletons, pumpkins, witches, ghosts, black cats in every color and size. There were things to look at, things to touch, things to discover in every room. We’d spot new treasures on each visit: a tiny vampire tucked behind a lamp, a glowing pumpkin in the corner, a candy dish shaped like a cauldron. Nothing was off-limits. She let us explore and play.

Even now, decades later, the season still feels anchored in her decorations. But more than the objects, it was the feeling they created: joy, surprise, wonder. Aunt Joan understood what too few adults do: To a child, the world is enormous, but it’s the little things that shape it. 

When we make even a small effort to add sparkle to the world around a child, we’re not just giving them a memory, we’re giving ourselves a gift, too. Halloween invites us to see through kids’ eyes again. When we set out pumpkins or hang a goofy skeleton or notice the flutter of costumes on a breezy evening, we get a glimpse of the world as enchanted, playful, alive. That kind of wonder cuts through the clutter of adult life and reminds us why we went to the trouble.

I don’t decorate like Aunt Joan did. I probably never will. But when I line our walkway with twinkling orange lights each Halloween to welcome the tiny goblins to our door, I’m remembering how much those little touches matter. Small efforts, big sparkle.

The spell Aunt Joan cast decades ago was magic, but no one needs a wand to make it happen... just a little time, a little heart, and a dash of delight.

—Debra Ross, publisher

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