  Spiritual
This week: Ghoulies & Ghosties & 3-legged Beasties Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Spiritual Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your guest editor this week. |
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I grew up in Alaska in a very strict Christian household. I only remember trick-or-treating one time (there may have been other times, but I don't remember them). I was young, maybe seven or eight, and my parents drove their car very slowly behind my three brothers and me as we knocked door-to-door. As you can imagine, it's darn cold in Alaska in October, so when a very sweet-looking grandmotherly lady invited us in for cocoa to warm us up, we accepted. Our parents were livid. "What were you thinking, walking into a stranger's house like that?" they asked. The truth is, we weren't thinking. We were cold, and hot chocolate sounded really good.
There were "Harvest Parties" and other activities hosted by our church on Halloween where you could play games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey and get free candy from the Sunday School teacher, but it wasn't the same. We wanted to dress up. We wanted to go into town and trick-or-treat for real. We didn't understand why it was "bad", and when our friends from school told us about how they got to stay out until almost midnight ... well, that was like pouring salt into a festering wound.
It wasn't until later that I read about the history of Halloween--about how it derived from a Celtic holiday (Samhain) dating back hundreds of years. It was the time of harvest, of preparing for winter, and a time when the door between the living and the dead was believed to be blurred. The custom of dressing up for Halloween is thought to be a direct result of people attempting to hide from the harmful, opportunistic spirits that crossed over the hazy threshold, and the door-to-door routine stems from village youngsters going from one house to the next to collect fuel for the Samhain bonfire.
Halloween is celebrated in one way or another by people from all walks of faith all around the world. In addition to the door-to-door knocking tradition, here in Boise you can pay a few bucks to experience a "haunted" house or meander through a massive corn maze, and the churches still offer the alternative "Harvest Party" for the more conservative parents who would rather their children not participate in the All Hallow's Eve festivities. Elementary schools host spaghetti feeds and turn their gymnasiums into trick-or-treat streets where children can knock on man-made stalls to get free candy from Mrs. Smith who teaches first grade while their folks participate in the cake walk for a chance to win yummy pies or fancy cupcakes.
As I matured I grew to love the spaghetti feeds and the cake walks and just spending time with my friends. Now that I'm a grandma, I love going out with my grandsons and walking with them door-to-door. We tend to go to the homes of people we know, and last year we went to my oldest grandson's elementary school where they'd constructed a trick-or-treat street inside the gym, and he had a great time.
Whatever your religion, whatever your beliefs are about Halloween, for children it remains one of the funnest things about being a kid.
Wishing you all a delightful and safe Halloween.
Thank you for reading.
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This week's featured selections include an essay written by a Witch and an article penned by a Spiritualist. When I guest edit I try to include various religions and all walks of faith. I chose these particular pieces because I think they are enlightening and answer a few questions about people who practice a different religion than perhaps you or I do. I hope you enjoy them, and please remember to do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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The following is in response to "Spiritual Newsletter (October 24, 2012)" :
johnny1209 says, "I so much enjoyed this newsletter. I have 5 children from ages 2 to 12. They have encountered bullying situations at school and talk about these events with much seriousness and prayer. I think the answer mostly is to be close to your children, listen to them, find their fears such as how to stand by the victim of bullying. It takes character and strength to stand up to someone who bullies, especially if he/she is bigger physically. Thanks again for the fine newsletter." Thank YOU! It is a topic that we as parents are obligated to discuss with our children as well as with their teachers. Bullying has often been overlooked and accepted as a right of passage. We owe it to the next generation not only to defend the bullied, but teach the bullies that such harassment is unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form. It is only by talking about it and confronting it head-on that we can expect to effect change. 
Zeke  says, "You are so right that we as parents are leaving a legacy behind. We should make sure it's positive." Thank you, Zeke! I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you for reading and commenting. 
Quick-Quill  says, "I would like to recommend a book LISTEN by Rene Gutterich. Someone is listening to peoples' very private conversations then posting them on a [spiritual] website everyone in the town is reading. I think any author that reads can ask WHAT IF...? and a book is born." Thank you for the recommendation! I'm always open to reading suggestions. 
I might be here, now.  says, "All I can say is AMEN to your words of wisdom about bullying, Shannon. It is outrageous the behavior of those who tormented Amanda Todd before she took her life and degraded her memory afterwards. I believe in Karma. Someday, these people will suffer a guilt over their actions that will eat away at them. Perhaps they'll get it when they become parents and one of their own children becomes a victim of bullying." Thank you, Webby. I don't understand why bullying isn't a crime. Harassment is, and stalking is, and bullying is basically the act of stalking (or at least continuously seeking out) and harassing someone. If the powers that be made bullying a criminal offense, would the incidences decrease? All I know is that kindness begins in childhood, at home. It is our responsibility as parents to impart compassion, wisdom, and ethical values to our children. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. 
BIG BAD WOLF is hopping  says, "As a young man with Autism, I know how things can be: didn't like school all that much, but one has to deal with it." I just hope the young people who are the recipients of such abhorrent behavior have someone in their lives telling them not to derive their self-worth from others. When you're young and impressionable it's hard to feel good about yourself when everyone around you is telling you how worthless you are. That's why it's so important for parents and teachers to take an active role in the lives of the children entrusted to their care. Thank you for sharing a little about yourself with us. Peace and blessings. 
ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy  says, "I love your newsletters. You're so clear in your message. About forgiving: after divorcing a husband of 16 years the day after the third time he had his knees holding me down, strangling me to loss of breath, I drove away. THEN I saw him everywhere, even at stop lights, until the day I prayed I forgive him, then I quit seeing him everywhere I went. My children had a better life, too. Forgiveness is so very important to peace of mind. And your today's newsletter tells us what a wonderful son you've raised. God bless him and those he helps." Aw, thank you, Ann! I am so glad you cared enough about yourself to get out of that situation. It's a very hard thing to do, walk away, and many people on the outside looking in--people who have never experienced abuse--blame the victim for staying and have no idea how difficult it is ... but I do. You are a strong woman and an inspiration to others. Thank you. 
bserinityspring says, "I know what it's like to be teased. I went through this all through school and, believe it or not, it pretty much destroyed me. It wasn't because of being a slow learner, but the family I was adopted into, the clothes I wore (which were home made or hand-me downs). I just didn't fit in. It's one of the worst feelings you can have as a kid. I know at times I wished I was gone, and believe it or not it's probably a lot worse than anyone believes even in today's society. I grew up in the days when Calvin Klein, button-down collars, boat shoes--all the 'preppy' clothes were the 'in' thing and if you didn't have them you were a nobody. People are still as cruel now as when I was a kid, but I think it's worse now than back then." Thank you for telling us a little about your struggles, and I'm sorry you had to endure that as a child. Unfortunately, I think many adults (teachers and parents alike) look the other way when it comes to bullying. Educating people about the long-term effects of bullying and openly talking about it will raise awareness and (hopefully) bring about change. Thank you. 
Steve adding writing to ntbk. says, "Another great newsletter. Found some good reviewing material, even the very last one that was submitted. Let the people know they are in your newsletter. My submission is included with this letter. Thanks for sharing from the heart in this Newsletter as well. Copenator out!" Thank you, Steve! And thank you for your continued words of kindness and support. I appreciate you and your friendship. 
kdelightful says, "Great newsletter, such an inspiration to me. It helps when writing from the spiritual aspect, it makes things clearer. Keep up the excellent work!" Thank you! I'm glad you liked it and found it helpful. Write on! 
readsalot says, "It is really nice that you stick up for the kids that can't stick up for themselves because they are scared. I agree with you that words are the most dangerous weapon in the language of mankind, but if we didn't have words and language we wouldn't be writing books/stories/songs/poems/ anything that has to do with words. If we didn't have language we wouldn't have learning and if we didn't have learning we would have a dark age. I guess it is a thing of responsibility. Here is something to think about: Fate is in the hands of the young but is controlled by the wise and the old." I couldn't agree more, Cam. Language is a powerful thing and should be used wisely. It is up to us to determine how we use words, and it falls on our shoulders to teach our children how to use them properly. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. 
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Spiritual: October 31, 2012 Issue [#5335]
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