Close your eyes for a second and go back.
It's a cool autumn evening. The porch lights are on. Leaves crunch under your shoes, and somewhere down the street a jack-o'-lantern is flickering on someone's front step. You're holding a pillowcase or a plastic pumpkin, and you are not quite yourself tonight.
Tonight, you are somebody you dreamed of being.
Who were you?
Maybe you were an astronaut, in a white suit and a helmet that fogged up every time you said "trick or treat." Maybe you were a firefighter with a bright red hat, ready to rescue the whole neighborhood. Maybe you were a pirate, a cowboy, a ballerina, a doctor with a toy stethoscope, or a wizard in a tall hat covered in stars.
Maybe you were a knight in armor made from a cardboard box and a lot of silver paint. Maybe you were a princess in a gown that swished when you walked, or a hero in a cape that was really a bath towel held on with a safety pin.
Whoever you were, you probably didn't think of it as a "dream." You just knew that, for one night, you got to be the person you most wanted to be.
The first time we tried on a dream
That's the quiet magic of Halloween. Long before anyone asks us to write a goal on a piece of paper, we pick a costume. And when a child picks a costume, they are often telling us something.
The little astronaut is curious about what's out there. The firefighter wants to be brave and help people. The doctor wants to make others feel better. The wizard wants to believe that the world is full of wonder. The knight wants to protect the people they love. The ballerina wants to move through life with grace and joy.
Those aren't just outfits. They're tiny, early sketches of who we hope we can become.
What your costume might still be saying
Here's a fun thing to try this week. Think back to the costume you loved most, the one you begged for, or the one you wore until it fell apart. Then ask yourself one simple question:
What did I love about being that?
Not the costume itself, but the feeling. Was it being brave? Being clever? Being kind? Exploring? Making people smile?
You might be surprised how often that feeling is still with you. Many of us didn't grow up to be astronauts or pirates. But plenty of us still find ourselves drawn to the same thing that costume stood for: helping, creating, protecting, discovering, leading, or simply bringing a little wonder into the room.
The costume may be long gone, packed away in an attic trunk or remembered only in an old photograph. The dream inside it has a way of sticking around.
Passing the dream along
If you have children or grandchildren in your life, Halloween is a wonderful time to share these memories. Tell them who you dressed up as, and why. Kids love hearing that the grown-ups they know were once small, excited, and dressed as something wonderful.
Then turn the question around. Ask them: "If you could be anything at all, what would you be?" And maybe one more: "What do you love about that?"
Their answers might make you laugh. They might also give you a little peek at the dreams they're already starting to carry. Every big dream starts small, sometimes with a paper crown or a cape made from a towel.
Your turn
So, who was your dream costume? An astronaut, a firefighter, a wizard, a knight, or something all your own? We'd genuinely love to hear about it, and about what that costume meant to you.
And whatever you dream of being now, at any age, it's never too late to put on the cape again.
Happy Halloween, and keep dreaming.
Looking for more to enjoy together? Our free games are made for all ages, including memory games, word games, and a fun way to practice your intuition. You'll also find more uplifting articles, plus Memory Tips & Tricks, at LiveToDream.com.
By G Fuzes · More articles