I have an uneasy relationship with Halloween.

When I was a child, I loved it. What fun to dress up as something or somebody else, and have people give you candy! What’s not to like?

And when my oldest children were young, I went all out, sewing elaborate costumes for them. I made a pirate, a frog, a giant M&M, a clown, a bride, a princess, Tweety Bird, a gorilla, a gypsy. Some I bought patterns for, others I improvised.

One year my daughter Erin volunteered to portray a person from India in a missions program at church. At my neighbor Gloria Jean’s suggestion, I went to an Indian store in Phoenix and examined the saris, and a salesperson explained how they were pleated and draped. I bought six yards of beautiful Indian lightweight cotton print fabric there and made Erin a sari. You better believe it was also her next Halloween costume.

But then the seedy side of Halloween got to me—the horror movies, the vampires and zombies, the connections to heathen traditions—and it made me think Halloween was not a healthy experience for children. My kids still went trick or treating (although not in 2001, just after 9/11), but we keyed it way back.

Now that I actually have grandchildren, I’m rethinking Halloween again. Halloween is what you make it. If you make it wholesome and fun rather than scary, what’s the harm? Mostly, I’m going to keep my mouth closed and let my grandchildren’s parents decide if/how to celebrate.

Andrea’s note: If you suspect that this post was just an excuse to learn how to use gifs, you might be right.