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As you walk deeper into the walled garden of this home, with your trick or treat bag in hand, you are overwhelmed by this gift.
It is the gift of compassion, and the other lost souls are digging into it as readily as you are. Every soul you encounter wears a shimmering costume, not of fabric but of their dreams, fears, and hopes. They are all, like you, young at the journey of life, hoping that they see more smiles than tears. Compassion is the ambrosia that transforms the mundane into the extraordinary. Compassion is the lens through which you may see beyond costumes, recognising the person beneath the guise. It's like peering through a telescope, where every turn reveals the patterns of human experience. Compassion invites you to cast aside the superficiality of appearances. It invites you to look deeper and understand the very fabric of every individual's story. It is with this act of seeing with the heart that you discover the beauty of our humanity.

Halloween is not just a parade of costumes and sweet treats. It offers us a reminder of the truth of compassion. You have wandered through the neighbourhood, encountering ghosts as costumed as you are yourself. You're not merely receiving candy; you're engaging in the first ritual of kindness. This is an ancient exchange of treats and smiles, holy as any other sacred day. It serves as an opening nudge towards a greater virtue. With the spirit of Halloween, you are reminded that everyone, regardless of their appearance, is deserving of kindness and understanding. Just as you wouldn't judge a ghostly apparition by its eerie facade but rather by the joy it brings, so too should you approach each person with an open heart. Trick or treat is the earliest encounter with compassion for many of us: learning to cherish the essence within each individual and helping those in need. It's not for the sake of reward, but for the pure joy of making a difference.

You back out, with a smile on your face, anticipating the next step of the journey.