James Gimian

Here in the Mindful office, a couple of us have fantasized out loud, wondering when mindfulness might be seen as commonplace, so normal, so American—and with their emphasis on self-reliance and compassion, mindful ideals really are American ideals—that “Mindful Angels” begin to appear. Well, on Hallowe’en, at least.

After all, you know you’ve made it, and are no mere flash in the pan, when kids start dressing up like you. Sure, the adults will go out as whoever’s “hot” at the moment; we can expect, some say, to see lots of glasses and black turtlenecks worn in homage to Steve Jobs this Hallowe'en. But kids often go for classics. There are and ghosts, zombies, and vampires, of course, but you’ll also see virtues and values embodied. Little angels, faeries, soldiers, and firefighters are unlikely to stop coming to our doors any time soon. Or, wizards; the loyal and sensitive Harry Potter is a great example of the kind of positive character kids love to emulate.