What could be scarier? I’ve been training for this holiday for months. With the need to limit interactions, I’ve been “ghosting” people all year! No big fanfare of goodbyes. Quick interchanges and few if any promises to catch up again.

This weekend, hoping for a break from solitude, trick or treating just might happen! The pile of my favorite candy is ready in anticipation and the decorations with the spooky skeleton ghost that comes alive is tuned up for the occasion. I sent a question to the housing group about the holiday and they sent me the cdc guidelines (which say nothing) really.

And so, what to do? The neighborhood is planning an outdoor event with trunk and treating. We’ve been wearing masks anyway for 8 months, why not have some fun with it? My recommendation is to find a way to engage, even if its just to watch the children parade in their costumes- we need the kids and their excitement to get us out of the funk. We know this infection will become endemic. We will live with it. The treatments are improving with greater knowledge of the cytokine storm that was terribly frightening for the first months. There will be seniors mostly affected and if you are immunocompromised, continue to be cautious. Limit engagement, but enjoy some fun. The kids are counting on us to be smart and to navigate a new normal with them. Laughter, happiness and a few scary moments can only help.

Everyday I attempt to guide patients to a new normal. Yesterday Sally asked, “How can I get rid of all this cancer?!” She cannot. It is stage 4, but the good news is that she can live with it and still live well. There are therapies yet to try, new trials will open and she will relax into dealing with a chronic disease- much like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. The virus is going to be like that too. Sure the pundits would have you believe if we do this and that it will disappear. Like cancer, the threat will live with us and we will learn to navigate.

Here is another holiday we may choose to just bypass because of the virus. For months I have been encouraging us to get out, be strong but wise. You do not need to listen to my advice- watch the children. They are fearless, resilient, joyful. They can take our hand and help us see a way out of the “fun house”. Their tiny little masked faces just might help to stop the fright.

Happy Halloween- lets climb down from this tower of terror together.

Reminder: masks, hand wash, vitamin D, Vitamin C and zinc!!