That changed when Josie, my middle child, had her first Halloween after being diagnosed with a swallowing disorder. Halloween was now another day where it was glaringly obvious that my child was different. See, Josie wasn’t able to eat a majority of the candy handed out. Chocolates melt which poses an aspiration risk, hard candies were a choke hazard and Tootsie Rolls were the perfect mixture of melty and chokey. I worried that she would get upset seeing everything that everyone else could eat and she couldn’t and I was once again not a fan of Halloween.

That is until a very wise friend told me the story of the Sugar Sprites. Sugar Sprites are magical fairies that live in the trees and feed on pollen and berries in the spring and summer months. In the cold months they rely on children to leave their candy outside so that they don’t all starve to death. Ok, that probably isn’t the way the story was told to me, but it may have been the way my kids heard it. In return for not allowing mass death in the fairies, they would leave a small token of appreciation for the child. My kids were all in. Not only did they get to save the fairies, they got a present.

This Wednesday night, after my children have harassed strangers for candy, we will set it outside our back door and whisper “Sugar Sprites, we have some sweets for you.” No yelling is allowed as fairies have sensitive ears. In the morning a small present will be left in the candy bucket. Since I am “that mom” the Sugar Sprites will leave my children a new book or a ruler, but they can bring your child whatever you wish.

Halloween is no longer a day to be hated in our home. Sure, the masks still give me nightmares, but with the help of the Sugar Sprites it isn’t a holiday about being different. Now it is a day filled with dressing up and helping out the fairies.