The Scariest Part of Halloween

The scariest thing on Halloween for me is Candy—peanut candy to be more precise. I spend the whole month scouring the candy isles looking for peanut free candy. It isn’t as easy as skipping the snickers and Reese’s either. It is quite a task. For example, I have only been able to find peanut free (void of the “may contain peanuts” or “made in a factory that processes peanuts” warning) candy corn can at the Dollar Store. This was after searching and searching for candy corn and then reading on a peanut allergy website forum that the Dollar Store has safe candy corn. Just last night I saw some Spiderman lollipops that the boys would have loved. They weren’t safe. It is frightful night when you realize that even regular lollipops have a peanut warning!

I have always loved Halloween. I have many fond memories from when I was a kid of dressing up, carving the pumpkin and trick or treating. It was a fun family night. I love the world of pretend and I love seeing my kids have fun getting dressed up. But, now Halloween makes me nervous—very nervous, in fact.

David handles Halloween really well. He knows that there will be candy that is “not safe” and that we will have to trade his unsafe candy out for safe candy. Of course, when normal lollipops are not always safe, we have to do a lot of candy swapping. We have to stick to the candies we feel confident about. David is used to being in situations (like when they had cake at cub scouts last night) where he cannot eat a treat simply because of the uncertainty. It isn’t easy for him sometimes but most of the time he takes it all in stride.

I am growing dealing with his allergy. Just last week he must have touched something that was contaminated because his eye started swelling, getting all red, and getting a white film on it. He kept saying, "My eye hurts!" My immediate reaction (which I did not display) was to freak out. I didn't. We put allergy visine in his eye, washed his hands and waited. This was extremely alarming because we were at home in our safe environment. We did know that he hadn't eaten anything bad. I had just come back to the house from a neighborhood shower where they were serving small cups of peanuts. Then several people walked from that house to my house (presumably with peanut dust on their hands). Isn't that astounding? We couldn't imagine what else would have caused him a reaction. So, back to Halloween... I wonder about cross contamination issues (someone handing out candy after eating a Reeses). I struggle with being obsessive, over protective, and simply afraid.

I cling to this -- my fear fighting verse: 2 Timothy 1:7 and I pray. If you think of it, pray for me and David's safety this Halloween.

2 Timothy 1:7
"For Got did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."