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A Lesson From Last Night's Most Memorable Trick-or-Treater

It rained last night in Northern Virginia. Definitely not the kind of weather you want to see on Halloween. Kids that were out were down because they had to wear waterproof garb over their costumes, or carry umbrellas. Bummer.

There was one child that really stood out in last night's lackluster Halloween procession to my front door. It was a little boy trick-or-treating with his sister, accompanied by his Dad. This youngster had turned lemons into lemonade. As I opened the door and greeted them, this young man (no more than four years old) put his little hand out with an upside down, fairly large frog to show me. It wasn't moving so I thought it was plastic.

Nope! It moved. It was real.

I asked his father if he knew the "friend" that his son was traveling with. The father replied, "He found him hopping on someone's driveway and he's had him in his bucket ever since."

While other kids were lamenting about the weather, the weather had actually given this little one a special friend. And I as gave two pieces of candy for being so kind to the frog, he put his new found buddy on top of the candy and headed off. He was the happiest child I'd seen all night.

That is a trick-or-treater I'll never forget! Just goes to show you that despite the bad stuff that tends to surround us lately, if you look close enough, there are great opportunities out there.

Chris Ann Cleland, Realtor- Licensed in Virginia, GRI & Short Sale Specialist. Affiliated with Long & Foster, 7526 Limestone Drive, Gainesville, VA 20155. To contact Chris Ann, call 703-402-0037 or email chrisann@LNF.com.

Posted by Chris Ann Cleland, GRI on 11/01/2009 11:17 AM

Comments (97)

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Originally posted at: Speaking of Homes...: A Lesson From Last Night's Most Memorable Trick-or-Treater

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97 Comments on A Lesson From Last Night's Most Memorable Trick-or-Treater

NOV

This post is causing me to stop and think. With this poor economy, how many opportunitys am I overlooking?

My husband and I are in shock. NO trick or treaters. We are in a new location, and bought lots of candy. The lights were on. Nobody came

Nothing wrong with making new friends. We had good weather here last night until later in the evening, so we got lots of visitors.

Did you scream first and then give him the second piece of candy? Sounds like a young man who will go far in life.

A good lesson to always look and the bright side and try to find the best in every situation.

That was so cute and you told it so well!

That is great! last night my 3 year old was dressed in a horse costume with ears, nose and all. Everytime he knocked on the door I instructed him to push the horses nose on his head, he did, then you hear "clip clop clip clop.......Neigh..neigh..." Everyone got the biggest kick out of it.

Hello Chris Ann-Hope your Halloween was as wonderful as YOU. Hope you been doing well. <SMILE>

Rob: Maybe some, maybe none. Those with positive attitudes will fair well no matter what.

Vickie: Swine flu fears may have held a lot back, from what I hear.

JL: I'm jealous. Seemed mostly older, bratty trick-or-treaters willing to brave the elements here. A group of particularly disreputable young men decided they didn't like my 20 second response time and started banging on my windows. Grrrrrr!

Pat: It cracked me up. He was trying to let me hold it. I was moderately freaked out, but not scared. Then I couldn't stop laughing.

Carol: There is always a bright side if we keep our eyes open for it.

Ginny: Wish I'd thought fast enough to take a picture. I had the camera by the door and everything. That frog in his hand really threw me off.

Robert: I would have given your child extra candy too. Extra personality always gets extra candy.

Sharon: I have doing very well. I lost 200 pounds of negative attitude by firing a client. That's an entirely different post. :)

What a wonderful story! (and a most gracious and kind child)

Sally: I always like to see kids excited about the little things. And kind to all critters and creatures.

We got a few but less than any previous year. I just think folks are scared of all the sicko's out there.

Chris Ann - It's funny that you posted this (which I love). My wife and I were just wondering what would happen if it rained really hard on Halloween. I guess there aren't any "do-overs". :)

Wow i would have been really thrown by a frog! Cool story..

Chris Ann - We had lots of folks out last night, including the Brady Bunch, but no frogs. I like this younsters attitude!

Michael

Chris Ann what a delightful story. Last night my husband opened the door. We take turns. My neighborhood is growing up so more of the kids are in Jr. High and High School and we don't get as many.

I like that the boy didn't mind having the frog hanging out with all his candy. We took our almost 3 year old downtown to trick or treat. The best was when she took a bite of the bar of soap that the, um, what do you call a store that sells soap, gave her.

what a sweet story, thanks for sharing it. from the mouths, or hands in this case, of babes

Chris Ann - just goes to show you that attitude is everything! Thanks for sharing...what a cute story.

Chris Ann - What a delightful story. I'd like to meet that youngster when he gets older. I have a hunch he will be a great success with his outlook on life and his compassionate attitude.

Chris Ann ! I love this post and the sentiment that you relayed with it :o)

...great story, especially for these easy-to-complain-about-times !

Cheers !

Sheldon

Cute! (although I wouldn't have held it either!) We didn't have a lot of trick-or-treaters in town either. Rather odd, but I just chalked it up to weather and illness. It was a gorgeous night out here though!

We had a lot of trick or treaters last night and noticed they all seemed to be so polite! Almost everyone said thank you (even the one's whose parents weren't reminding them to). I had two favorites. The toddler that just kept looking in her pumpkin and picking up candy and laughing. And the toddler that came walking in my door like she was going to stay and visit a while.

There are always opportunities, but often people are looking up for them instead of down. Sometimes they are right at your feet, not far down the road where you are looking for that rainbow.

Nice story. I just left a bowl of candy on the front step with a note that said I had to go out and that they were to take a candy (or two) and Happy Halloween. When I came home there was still a few pieces left that I gave to a few teens in costume that were hanging around the area at the end of the treating time of 8PM. The last ones little ones showed up at 9PM with the parents out in the car following as the little tykes went door to door.

You put a smile on my face with this story, at the same time it taught me a lesson.

great post!

-Nelson

Now that's a frog story! Another post told us w hat FROG means - already I forget - LOL oh now I remember "finished room over garage." Brian Tracy in his book on Procrastination suggests eating your 'frog' first thing in the morning. (what an icky thought literally speaking.) Of course in this context, it means to complete the task you are dreading the most FIRST.

Fun and well told story. Thanks!

Not only is there always opportunity, there are always those in need we can help. I'll remember you trick or treater as well.

One of my favorite holidays as you can truly see it through the eyes of a child...love this story and just a bit of a reminder to always look at the glass half full instead of half empty....I'd like to see that we are in a great real estate market that is truly half full!!!

Chris Ann, what a beautiful story and so well written. It actually brought tears to my eyes as I thought about my son at that age. He's 15 now--the time passes so quickly.

NOV

It's always better to look at a dodgy situation with a positive light ... maybe that frog was a prince in disguise! Sounds like a very nice young man.

Thanks for sharing a lovely moment in this young man's life. It wasn't about the candy so much as it was about his "find" of the night, and sharing that find with you.

Nice lesson Chris. . from you as well, you are passing it forward (the lesson)from a child

thank you

Chris, what a great story! I can picture that little boy with is frog.....life is good!

There's an upside to everything in life! Sometimes the best lessons in life are taught to us by children. Thanks for the post.

Be well,

Brendan

Too funny! That little boy will do well in life if he continues to find a silver lining in every raincloud! Thanks for sharing!

Chris, thanks for sharing that post. He has it right. What's a little candy compared to an encounter with mother nature?

Chris Ann...

Great story! It really is all about how you look at it! We can all learn from this episode.

What an adorable story.

Chris...Boys can make mud, bugs and reptiles a fun part of any otherwise mundane routine, Nothing like a bucket of frogs to keep a kid smiling. Here is a photo of my son showing shear joy in the mixture of dirt and water.

Loynd Photos age 5....mud is fun

Chris Ann:

That is a terrific story. Kids are resilient no matter what the situation. I only got a couple of trick or treaters and I was disappointed since I do enjoy seeing the kids. Your mention of the swine flu may be an explanation.

Kids are sometimes the best teachers! Breaking things down to simplicity...finding joy in the little things in life. A great reminder for us all! :)

Joyce: Sad that a few sickos ruin things for people.

Jason: Rain definitely puts a damper on things. Thank God the malls still do their indoor trick-or-treating.

Janet: Was interesting for sure.

Chris Ann, I appreciated your story as we live on acreage and no longer get trick or treaters. It was nice that you made the little boy smile!

Michael: The Brady Bunch? That was my favorite show. I'll have to stop by and take a look.

Missy: That doesn't stop my neighborhood. I really don't like it when the high school kids come around. They don't even dress up.

Ray: That's a great story too! I remember the taste of soap.

Daniel: Yep. Kids crack me up.

Lori & Bruce: Attitude is everything.

Donna: Me too. I think he'll always be the kind of person that other's want to be around.

Sheldon: One thing I've gotten very good at recently is knowing where to find a great deal. I know the grocery store where milk is cheapest, the one with the cheapest waffles and so forth. Too bad it's never the same store.

Tori: Halloween isn't really predictable anymore. Sometimes there are HUGE turnouts. Other times, nothing at all.

Julie: I had one that kept trying to come in. I was hunkered down and keeping my cats from escaping, but one toddler kept trying to push past me. Maybe he saw one of the cats.

John: Not everything has to be perfect to find an opportunity. That is for sure.

Gregory: I'm surprised the candy takers followed instructions. Amazing.

Nelson: Making lemonade out of lemons is a tough lesson for some.

Beverly: In radio we would call that "front loading" the bad stuff.

Kyle: Had to tell it while it was fresh in my mind.

Tammy: He did seem like a kind soul.

Penny: I swear that my outlook alone has made this the best year ever for my career. While others are crying about how bad it is, I'm too busy working to notice.

Tammie: I didn't set out to make anyone cry. :)

Maureen: I have a feeling that frog at least got him more candy at each door.

Sherry: I bet he shared that frog with everyone he ran into. Wonder what he did with the frog when he got home.

Fernando: Lessons are much easier to learn when they are FUN.

Debbie: Yes. Soggy, but good.

Brendan: I absolutely believe there is an upside to everything.

Barbara: And I imagine he'll get under the skin of the Negative Nelly's out there.

Dave: It was neat to see him enjoying it so much.

Richard: Keep the smile on your face. That's the first step to making the negative, positive.

Peggy: I thought so.

Steve: Your son reminds me of my cousin Ed. When he was little he used to put on snow boots and run through mud...for HOURS.

Claudette: I think someone else mentioned the flu. Never occured to me.

Dawn: Keep it simple stupid, right?

Bob: I'd say it was the other way around. He made me smile.

Thanks for sharing your story. We didn't get many kids tricker treating because of the weather. It's good to know that some people will have a good time in any circumstance.

It sounds like the boy has the right idea for making the best out of life when glitches get thrown at him.

Hi Chris Ann! Sooooo Funny! I too think of Brian Tracy's book when I saw this story!! :) All the best over the Holiday Season!!

Chris Ann, what a GREAT lesson to be learned -- and from a child! Life doesn't always give us what we want, but that doesn't mean there aren't other great things out there to have & experience!

Anyone who is kind to animals -- well...that speaks VOLUMES about their character.

What a sweet story! I love Halloween and seeing all of the kiddies dressed up! It was super quiet at our house and I was disappointed that no one had come by - Then, all of a sudden the floodgates opened up and we had over 50 kids! Lots of fun and one little princess even gave me a hug around the legs - It was adorable.

That is too funny. It is the little things that make a difference.

Great story Chris. It reminds us that we can truly learn life lessons from our kids if we keep our eyes, ears, and mind open to them.

I can see my son doing that and my daughter screaming bloody murder.

What a great story, it made me smile. We had a great halloween but no frogs!

Chris Ann - I hate when the weather isn't nice on Halloween. Great Story!

Here in AZ the temp was up there and no rain, it does melt the chocolate though!

What a cute story Chris Ann. See you at the office.

Great post! Love the positive stories.

Too cute!! I also just noticed that there are groups for positive comments, that is good to see. going to join those right now Thanks, for the great story too.

Hi Chris. Now that's a cool story. I missed all the kids because I went to the Lahaina street party instead of handing out candy.

AHHH- that is a great story. I grew up in Texas and moved here to Colorado and my boys have never seen a frog. I love the way you point out to look for the silver lining! Great post.

great post and an even greater moral to the story, this kid sees it completely full what a great future he has in front of him

God makes the best "treats". Loved your post... Made me stop and thank God for the everyday blessings in my life.

Darrell: The people that have fun no matter what are the ones I try to associate with. Life's too short.

Christine: Certainly does seem that way. I'm sure life will test him as the glitches get more and more "interesting" and trying.

Stephen: Thinking I should go get this book.

Darrell: The people that have fun no matter what are the ones I try to associate with. Life's too short.

Christine: Certainly does seem that way. I'm sure life will test him as the glitches get more and more "interesting" and trying.

Stephen: Thinking I should go get this book.

Our neighborhood is "aging." When we moved in, we had tons of kids. Last week... we got 2!

I had bought bags of pretzels, so at least I'm not stuck with bags of candy that I'll be forced to eat.

Nice lesson, Chris Ann

Marney: There's always a reason to smile if we keep our eyes and hearts open to it.

Chris: Couldn't have said that one better myself. How you treat the defenseless among us (kids and animals) says everything about you.

Heather: That is precious. I think Halloween will always be my favorite night of the year...next to Christmas Eve.

Damon: The little things make it all worth while.

Ronald: For me, I learn these lessons from other people's kids. Have none of my own.

Chuck: The good news is that his sister (dressed as a princess) seemed to not be frightened of the frog in the least. Maybe it was her Prince Charming.

Kate: This was the first Halloween I ever remember it being so icky with regard to weather. Wind and cold are one thing, but never recall it raining.

Michelle: This was a Halloween weather first in our area.

Clifford: I'm sure that melted chocolate would be annoying.

Rich: Haven't seen you in a while. We must be just missing one another.

Joyce & Terry: Positive stories are the best.

William: Most of the folks here on AR are positive.

Richard: Now a street party sounds like fun. Been a long time since I've seen one of those.

Kristi: Frogs are plentiful here in Bristow, VA. I had never seen one on my lawn until moving here. We are very close to wetlands.

Liz: Couldn't agree more!

Chris Ann - Thanks for the great story! Where we live now we don't have so many trick-or-treaters but we used to have a lot in our Maryland neighborhood. Although I gotta tell you I don't miss the rain so much :-)

Claire: I agree with you. That frog was definitely more special that any piece of candy I could have given him.

Erica: I still buy chocolate..things I love. Bad when there is leftovers, but then again, that's why I buy what I love. Who needs dinner when there's leftover chocolate? :)

Christianne: The rain sucks! Never saw it on Halloween before this year.

I think I would have jumped more than the frog! What a fun memory!

Chris Ann, I thought the little trick or treaters were pretty polite this year, wishing me a Happy Halloween.

Cheryl: I see a lot of frogs since moving into this house in 2005.

Gary: I'm glad to hear it. Nothing erks me more than kids coming to your door for candy and being disrespectful and entitled.

Hi Chris~ That little boy sounded so cute! I have a little gandson and I can just see him doing something like that when he gets a little older! Hey! It could have been a mouse he was carrying around...YIKES!!

Hi Chris Ann: I read your blog this morning and then got sidetracked, so I had to make a point to come back and tell you how much I enjoyed it. It's the little weird things that happen that make for such enjoyable reading, and I'm glad you shared it.

Not that I care much for frogs, mind you. A few years ago in the jungles of Equador, I was sleeping in this hut with netting tucked in around my bed. I woke up because it was raining very hard and a frog was croaking. Loudly. Even louder as the rain pelted the thatched roof. He was maybe 5 inches from my head, and I couldn't open my eyes. All I could do was pull the pillow over my head so it wouldn't jump on my face.

Chris Ann ... I agree 1000% with you. Which is why I don't buy chocolate. If it's not in the house, I cannot eat it.

Chris Ann - that was a great story! I'm not too fond of frogs myself, so I would have certainly freaked out. Thanks for sharing your story. My 6 year old son wasn't in the spirit for Halloween the other evening. We went trick or treating in SF, were there are stairs galore. After the first block, he gave his bag to his dad and asked him to go up for him. :=)

NOV

Vickie: A mouse? Yikes. At that point I would have been thankful to have five cats.

Elizabeth: That's an interesting story...and an interesting part of your life I haven't heard about yet. Equcador, huh?

Erica: I think next year it'll be lollipops or something I would never touch.

Emily-Ann: I just showed some property where there were huge staircases going up to the front doors of these townhouses. I thought, "Gosh, it must suck to trick or treat in this neighborhood." So I guess your story is evidence that kids get tired of walking up and down stairs.

That was me in my childhood. If it rained or snowed on Halloween, I was out playing in the rain or snow. Who needs candy when one can get all wet and dirty? LOL

NOV

Russel: The elements can be fun if your folks will let you out in them.

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