Halloween Headache

How did you spend your Halloween evening?

A friend of mine had a hot date with her husband. Another friend spent some time mourning a dearly loved pet. A couple of folks I know likely spent the evening wondering how their lives would change after a phone call informed them of a change in their professional lives. My neighbors spent much of the evening wondering why they buy candy each year and at least some of their evening planning on how to offload the leftovers to Little Man!

I spent my Halloween in a personal haunted house. In the dark, under a sheet, praying that my mind would just stop whirring and let me rest. Yep … headache city. Hellish.

I can tough it out through a huge range of afflictions … as long as I don’t have a headache. A headache will take me down quicker than just about anything I’ve ever experienced. (Not kidding here … had an epidural when I delivered Little Man because they told me that it would relax my body and get rid of my HEADACHE … it worked like a charm, btw.)

This was the kind of headache that had me driving, with tears streaming down my face, to a VERY well-attended church trunk or treat celebration desperately looking for Husband and Little Man because I couldn’t feed BK, feeling guilty about making them come home, and all the while praying that BK wouldn’t cry or that I wouldn’t get sick on the spot.

Husband does what he always does when I get a headache. He picks everything up and keeps going. He fed the kids and treated our costumed friends. (BTW, as I’m writing this a HUGE black cat is stalking around in my back yard.) He got the kids into bed and then, I assume, stumbled into bed himself. Then, got up with them at 6:30 AM to start our crazy days all over again.

It’s over now. The good news is that it’s not likely that I’ll have another one for a while now.

When I woke up this morning, I had a horrible feeling of regret. I missed another series of moments in the lives of my kids. Those are 20 or so hours of my life that I’m not getting back.

I’m not really sure that I missed all that much. Halloween is not a favorite holiday of mine. Other than an excuse to eat candy, I really have never had a use for it. Little Man seems to be taking after his mom in this regard. He’s all about the candy and has not worn a costume since he’s been old enough to refuse to put one on. BK is too little to know or care. She just likes the action and attention. (Note: The HUGE black cat is still stalking around in my backyard.)

I guess that it all comes down to lack of control. I don’t ever know what I’m going to miss and I’m afraid one day it’ll be something really important.

I can’t control when they arrive (and I’m very thankful that they aren’t cronic). I just wish that they had a bit better timing. Wait, maybe they do. Maybe my haunted Halloween signals clear sailing for the rest of the holidays! I’d be all for that!

Here’s looking forward to an enjoyable and headache-free Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ll start by being thankful for a wonderful family and a headache that has taken a hike!

Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year!

PS. … and about that HUGE black cat. Well, he’s just jumped the fence looking for other places to stalk. I’m not superstitious and I like black cats – he’ll be back and we’ll enjoy watching his neighborhood hunting escapades!