Halloween or All Hollows Eve or All Saints Eve is a remembrance of the dead and celebrated liturgically in some churches such as Roman Catholic, Byzantine Catholic and Eastern Orthodoxy.
Not to take away from any of that (the liturgies are beautiful), but speaking of the dead, I’m reminded of recent discussions I’ve read online where people seem to be competing over who has had the worst loss – the death of a mate, the loss of a pet, or divorce and I’ve said that it all depends on the person and the circumstances. But whatever it is, it’s not a competition. And so when I read this quote from On the Brink of Everything (see yesterday’s post), I had to share it:
“At my age, I know people who have lost the dearest person in their lives.”
That is the key – the “dearest” person in their lives. And for some people, that dearest “person” is a pet.
He goes on to say:
At first, they go into deep grief, certain their lives will never again be worth living. But then they slowly awaken to the fact that–not in spite of their loss but because of it–they’ve become bigger, more compassionate people, with more capacity of heart to take in other people’s sorrows and joys.
Loss is not a competition nor is it a narrowly-defined category. Loss is loss and all must be dealt with in compassion.
Happy Halloween, Happy November! See you in December.
Halloween on Mount Charleston
Screamie Birds Studios 