Candy For The Needy

Every year the Livery, a cute little shopping center, in Danville has a Halloween Jubilee for the kids on the Saturday before the night of tricks-or-treats. Each year they have an art project (usually bracelet and necklace making), a face painter, a bouncy house, music and, of course, the requisite candy at each store.

Today was our third year of attending and the boys had a great time. Dressed as Darth Vader, M, and Spiderman (B), we went from store to store taking a candy from each basket. M and B took their time considering their options on the difficult decision of which cavity-delivery-system to choose. I'm not kidding, they pored over those baskets to find the perfect candy. In B's case he asked, pretty much every time, if the candy he chose was one that he was allowed to eat. Due to his peanut allergy, he wants to make sure that he'll actually be allowed to consume the spoils of his work.

We probably only went to about ten stores because the boys were thrilled with their loot after about only three stores, so we figured that enough was enough. I should mention that when we go to birthday parties and there are pinatas, much the same happens. As long as they get at least one or two candies, they're so excited. Others are shoving around trying to get as much candy as possible, but M and B don't seem to be interested in this. As Papa Bear points out, maybe they figure that we'll never let them eat more than a few anyway, so why bother?

Later in the evening, I was trying to figure out how to get the candy away from them as Halloween is next week and they should save some of their teeth for then. I remembered reading an article where a mom told her kids that there were some kids in the world whose parents couldn't afford to give them candy. She asked her kids to give up their candy to these other children. I told M and B about these "needy" children and asked if they'd like to donate their candy.

M blurted out, "Are these the kids with black skin?" I momentarily sat there stunned, not sure what to say or where that had come from. P.B. burst out laughing; thanks for the help, P.B. I remembered that about a month ago I had talked with the kids about P.B. going to work to make money so that we could eat food and live in a house. I also told them that some kids in the world couldn't afford food because their parents couldn't find work. For some asinine reason I used Africa as an example, which then led to an explanation of skin color and the slippery slope that I now found myself in. I quickly explained this to P.B. so that he'd stop laughing, and then turned back to my son with the elephant-like memory.

I asked, "M, are you talking about the kids in Africa that we talked about?"

M replied, "Yes."

I said, "Well, I'm sure there are many children in Africa that don't have candy, but there are also many in America who also don't have candy. I'd like to give our candy to those kids."

M responded, "Mommy, I want to give my candy to the kids who don't have any." This was a very proud moment for me.

Of course, I have another child who had been sitting there quietly soaking up the conversion.

B piped up with, "Mommy, I DO NOT WANT to give my candy away! I want it all for myself!"

Fifty percent is a failing grade, last time I checked.