Kevin had already made his Halloween costume with his mom and helped his dad decorate their house. He was excited about how much candy he would collect. But one house on his street didn’t have any decorations, and that kept bothering him. He didn’t understand why someone wouldn’t celebrate Halloween, so he thought maybe they needed help.
Halloween was almost here, and the entire neighborhood was buzzing with excitement. Every yard seemed to be trying to be the scariest one around.
There were pumpkins with big, jagged smiles all along the sidewalks. Plastic skeletons hung from tree branches, and fake cobwebs covered porches.
The air smelled like dry leaves and candy, and eleven-year-old Kevin could feel his heart racing with excitement.
Halloween was Kevin’s favorite day of the year, a time when anyone could be whatever they wanted. He loved how everything changed for that one magical night.
As he walked down the street, he smiled, looking at the glowing jack-o’-lanterns and spooky ghosts decorating the houses. Some homes even played creepy sounds like witches’ laughter and creaking doors.
But something different caught his eye as he went farther down the street. One house was dark and plain, with no decorations at all. It was Mrs. Kimbly’s house.
Mrs. Kimbly was an older woman who lived alone. Kevin had helped her before, mowing her lawn in summer and shoveling snow in winter, but she rarely said much. Her undecorated house seemed out of place in the festive neighborhood.
Kevin felt bad that her house had no Halloween spirit. He thought maybe she needed help with the decorations. Determined, he crossed the street and knocked on her door.
When Mrs. Kimbly answered, her face showed annoyance. “What do you want, Kevin?” she asked in a gruff voice.
“I noticed you don’t have any Halloween decorations. I could help you put some up, if you’d like,” Kevin offered.
Mrs. Kimbly frowned. “I don’t need decorations, and I don’t need help,” she said sharply before slamming the door.
Kevin was surprised. How could anyone hate Halloween so much? He didn’t want her house to be a target for pranks, like kids throwing toilet paper, so he came up with a plan.
At home, Kevin told his mom, Sarah, about Mrs. Kimbly’s undecorated house and how she had slammed the door in his face. His mom suggested leaving her alone, explaining that people might have reasons for not celebrating.
But Kevin didn’t think Mrs. Kimbly hated Halloween—she seemed lonely. So, he decided to help anyway.
He gathered all the Halloween decorations he could find, including his favorite pumpkin, and hurried back to Mrs. Kimbly’s house. He carefully hung lights and placed pumpkins on her porch. As he finished, the front door opened, and Mrs. Kimbly stormed out, furious.
“I told you not to decorate my house!” she yelled. She grabbed Kevin’s carved pumpkin and smashed it on the ground. Kevin was shocked and hurt, but he whispered, “I just wanted to help,” before running home.
That night, Kevin put on his vampire costume, but he couldn’t enjoy Halloween. He was worried about Mrs. Kimbly’s house being pranked. So, he returned to her house and sat on her porch, handing out candy from his own bag to trick-or-treaters, explaining that Mrs. Kimbly wasn’t home.
As he sat alone, the door creaked open. Mrs. Kimbly stepped out, her expression softer this time.
“What are you doing here, Kevin?” she asked quietly.
“I didn’t want anyone to mess with your house,” Kevin explained. “I thought I could help.”
Mrs. Kimbly sighed and sat beside him. She admitted that Halloween was hard for her because it reminded her of how alone she was. She had no family to share it with.
Kevin understood now. “You don’t have to be alone,” he said. “You can celebrate with the rest of us.”
Mrs. Kimbly smiled sadly and thanked Kevin for his kindness. She even apologized for smashing his pumpkin. Kevin promised to bring another one so they could carve it together.
For the first time in years, Mrs. Kimbly felt the warmth of Halloween again, thanks to the caring heart of one determined boy.
Dad sparks online debate after cradling daughter’s head for 45 minutes so she could sleep during a flight
People are frequently seen debating something or other on the internet these days.
Given that it essentially brought millions of people together in one location and allowed them to freely express their emotions, it was unavoidable. But they were always going to spark a heated argument, regardless of how diametrically opposed they were.
Even while contentious images and videos are becoming commonplace on the internet, it doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile to check them out whenever they appear. Thus, when I saw a photo of a father and his dozing kid shot during a flight—one that, incidentally, has sparked a variety of comments—we had to share it.
The discussion started when Reddit user u/therra123 posted a wonderful photo of a father and daughter in the r/MadeMeSmile thread.
An image of a girl curled up on her aisle seat during a trip was submitted by the user. Her father had put his palm under her cheek, preventing her head from resting on the armrest, which is, I’m sure anyone who has used one, a quite harsh and coarse pillow.
“This man kept his hand in this position for 45 minutes so his daughter could sleep well,” says the Reddit caption that goes with the image.
We have to say at this point that, in our perspective, this appears to be no more than a father going about his business. Although the post was appropriately labeled “wholesome moments,” some Redditors disagreed.
Remarkably, the father’s activities drew criticism; some individuals wrote merely to point out that he could have done it more skillfully.
The widely shared post received approximately 60,000 likes and thousands of comments, with responses like these:
“It seems like… I believe there must be a better approach.
“Do you not have your towel?” said another. The most crucial item you can pack is a towel.
“Shows a distinct lack of creative problem solving,” said a third person. You claim that after 45 minutes, you were unable to come up with a workable answer. Hey!
A fourth person wrote, “Seriously. Fold up a sweatshirt, and presto! Instant-pillow. Here’s an absurd idea: request a blanket and pillow from a flight attendant.
Others, meanwhile, were more understanding of the father and his gesture. By coincidence, we also find ourselves in that category!
What about you, though? Was there anything improper, in your opinion, with the father using his kid as a makeshift pillow throughout this flight? Tell us in the comments below.
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