I like that Halloween still runs on doorbells.
Usually, having someone come over involves a little coordination. A text, a plan, some discussion about timing. An unexpected ring at the door can send us checking our phones to see what we forgot.
Then Halloween comes along, and we leave the porch light on for people we’ve never met.
The arrangement is wonderfully simple. You have candy. They have a costume. Sometimes the costume requires an explanation, especially if you haven’t kept up with whatever children are watching. You admire it anyway.
For a few hours, houses become places to stop. The person you usually wave to from the car is standing on your front steps. A toddler in a dinosaur costume makes it all the way up your path, although getting back down may require assistance.
And children remember things about your house that would never occur to you. Yours is the one with the barking dog, the excellent skeleton or the person who lets them take two.
I like this little reminder that our homes can make other people feel welcome, too.
A porch light and a bowl of candy is a pretty good place to start.
