the tender halloween mercy

every year we hold a halloween party exclusively for the kids on our street.  however, with a vacation just when we'd typically hold the party, i strongly considered canceling it.  but i had an impression to keep the party.  not sure exactly why, i kept the party all while resisting urges to save time, energy and money by forfeiting.  but within minutes of handing out the invitations, i knew exactly why i'd been prompted to keep the party.
just minutes after insisting that jack deliver invitations to his peers, 2 of the boys were on our driveway talking to jack.  a friendly move he hasn't been brave enough to make in almost a year and one that was so desperately needed.  you see, jack is liked by everyone but for some reason never reciprocated efforts at friendship - particularly among the crowd of neighborhood boys.  they have come knocking for him so many times but he could never be coerced to reciprocate that knock.  as warned by a worried social worker mama, he eventually got overlooked as part of the group leaving a scenario in which all neighborhood boys were playing football and jack was riding his bike by himself or tagging along with his sisters' friends.  
the tender mercy of the halloween party has had him playing football almost daily since.  he has been confident and happy.  and i have been filled with gratitude!

[allow me the space here to write a few things about jack that i don't want to forget.  
- when complaining about how ridiculous mom's magnet collection is, he said he'd collect 'cheetah legs'. 
- we were surprised to find out he is scared to death of heights 
- i won't ever reveal his major tell when he's not feeling well because it's the only time he wants to cuddle
- he stinks like a grown boy and has started wearing deodorant! 
- his answer "not much" to a fill in the blank entitled this really puts me in a bad mood... couldn't be more accurate 
- he has a lot of interest in animals and recently had a grasshopper 'ben' doing 'tricks']