Here in the Mindful office, a couple of us have fantasized out loud, wondering when mindfulness might be seen as commonplace, so normal, so American—and with their emphasis on self-reliance and compassion, mindful ideals really are American ideals—that “Mindful Angels” begin to appear. Well, on Hallowe’en, at least.
After all, you know you’ve made it, and are no mere flash in the pan, when kids start dressing up like you. Sure, the adults will go out as whoever’s “hot” at the moment; we can expect, some say, to see lots of glasses and black turtlenecks worn in homage to Steve Jobs this Hallowe’en. But kids often go for classics. There are ghosts, zombies, and vampires, of course, but you’ll also see virtues and values embodied. Little angels, faeries, soldiers, and firefighters are unlikely to stop coming to our doors any time soon. Or, wizards; the loyal and sensitive Harry Potter is a great example of the kind of positive character kids love to emulate.
Could the “Mindful Angel” be far behind?
Imagine: the bell rings, and a child is there with her parent, cheerfully calling out “Trick or Treat!” You welcome them, grab the candy bowl, and ask, “And tell me, who are you supposed to be?” And the answer is, “I’m a Mindful Angel.”
If that seems like a bit of a stretch, take a look around this website. More and more people of all kinds really are finding incredible value in the approach to life that mindfulness practice and its values offer us. And that includes, for example, The Girl Scouts of America, who as we reported here, have begun to recognize their own for achievements in “The Science of Happiness.”
The point is, this mindfulness stuff is sticking. People everywhere are beginning to see it as part of their lives: soldiers, firefighters, nurses, teachers. And many children are beginning to see it, too—like those shown here practicing social emotional learning (SEL) in Youngstown, Ohio last year, or those who are benefitting from Goldie Hawn’s MindUP! program.
Who’s to say that this isn’t the year of the Mindful Angel, or the Mindful Wizard, or what-have-you?
So we have two questions for you. 1) How have you tried to instill the values of mindfulness in your child? And, 2) If you were to sit down and make a Mindful Angel or Mindful Wizard costume with your child, what would it look like? How would you get the idea across?… It doesn’t have to be an angel or a wizard—let your imagination go. But do share your answers with us and we’ll share some of our favorites with our readers. (And if you actually make the costume, please send on a photo we can share here.)
Thanks, and have a mindful, safe, and fun Hallowe’en.
