Tonight as I drove by the familiar scene, I smiled and wondered
how many people get to experience the best of small town living.
Here one man whose name is Mel Wilks started
a wonderful tradition of offering the parents, trick-or-treaters and anyone
else who stops by the welcome of a warm fire, a smile and kind word topped off with a cup of hot cocoa and candy for the little
ones. This year marks the 20th
year of his yearly Halloween respite. Locals sit and chat around the fire as
they watch the mini parade of masked kiddos stop by with their moms and dads.
Mel and his wife, Glenna by the hot water pot |
Yup, I couldn't resist the cocoa and a quick chat |
A kind tradition continues |
When I asked Mel what made him start this wonderful
outreach, he said it was watching one cute little tutu clad youngster shivering
in her costume on a cold evening. It bothered him and he said to his wife, next
year, I’m building a fire so those little ones have a place to warm up. And now some of those kids so long ago have
their kids that they are bringing by.
How cool is that? It makes me
glad that I live where I do, as this is the kind of community spirit that is alive
and well and is the true beauty of small town life.
It just shows how one man can create a wonderful tradition
that many enjoy and warms not only the body, but the heart and soul of all
those who pass by. A kind heart in deed,
thank you Mel and Glenna.
I for one admire this spirit of kindheartedness and wanted to share a bit of my world with you. If this inspires you to start something wonderful, I hope you will share what you are doing, as I'd love to hear about it. Happy Halloween! All my best, Gayle