My three pumpkins are growing in age and wisdom

By Dr. Heather Bozant Witcher
Young Adults

If I’m being honest, ever since my children were tiny infants, I’ve been looking forward to fall and Halloween with them. And, this is the first year we’ll actually get to have an experience I think they’ll enjoy.

Last year, we went trick-or-treating in one of my friend’s neighborhoods, but it was different. I chose their costumes based on what I thought would look cute. Our youngest stayed in his stroller and napped, happily snuggled in his pumpkin stuffed-costume. The twins took their bags to a few houses but were mostly confused. I’m not certain they truly understood what was happening.

This year is different. Pumpkins, “skelly-bobs” and witches have been the topics of conversation for the past month as we decorated the house together. The twins picked out their own costumes and helped decide that their youngest brother would be a ghost – a friendly one. It matches his personality.

When we went to the pumpkin patch, they were so excited to, first, ride in the wagon and travel to the fields. Then, they shrieked with joy as we came upon the pumpkins – brightly colored spots in the green field.

Each of them picked his own pumpkin. The youngest crawled through the patch, searching for the largest pumpkin he could find. His requirements? Something that was as tall as he was so that he could hide behind it and pop out (like a ghost). He also needed something round enough for him to crawl over. It was perfect.

The twins took their task to heart, searching high and low for one that would fit them. The oldest came pretty quickly upon a small, white pumpkin. It had lost its stem, had blemishes and was soft in some spots. It fit perfectly in his hands. My husband and I looked at one another: It was clearly a pumpkin that most would discard.

“Are you sure that’s the one you want?” I asked.

Maybe he was drawn to the white ones. I pointed out a few others that looked more traditional, more pumpkin-like. He was adamant and carried it around with him everywhere. It was his.

The youngest twin was more intent on finding a smallish pumpkin – one that would match the images he had seen in his books. I watched as he carefully looked over his options. He inspected many but only picked up a few. The winning pumpkin also needed to be the right weight. He chose a perfectly oval, bright orange pumpkin with a beautifully curved stem. He ran over and requested a picture – in front of the tractor.

In those moments, I realized that more and more of their personalities are shining through. The child who spends so much time perfecting his “art” work – who took longer to speak but then began talking in sentences – that’s the same child who looks intently for aesthetic beauty and inspiration. The child who looks to the objects that have been cast aside is the same child who, when seeing his younger brother cry or one of his classmates get upset, brings over a toy or asks if they need a hug.

With each season, each holiday, I watch as my children grow up and become individuals. In my mama heart, I still see them as small, round pumpkins from their first Halloween, but I’m loving these new, older pumpkins – the ones who flash their silliest grins and show me who they’re becoming with each passing day.

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