Rader was Mario for Halloween in 2009 when he was 8 years old. So cute! Then the next year, he dressed up as Toad!
Halloween has always been one of our top holidays as a family. It definitely was Rader’s favorite — he even had a Halloween-carnival-themed birthday party (in June) the year he turned 5.
So we have struggled every year with this season since losing him. Seeing young families out together trick-or-treating is rough for us now. We turn off the porch light and don’t participate, and we try to distract ourselves with a movie.
Grief hits in all kinds of ways. Some you can predict (like this one, now — although that first year, the tidal wave of Halloween walloped us out of the blue). If you’re grieving and need support, there are some helpful resources and book recommendations at raderward.com/mentalhealth.
