Today is Halloween.

My grandsons recently asked, “Grammy, are you going Trick or Treating with us this year?”

I’ve done that the past three. We’ve had fun joining with their friend’s family. All the adults dress in costumes and enjoy the festive spirit of their child-filled neighborhood.

“Sure,” I said, glad they still wanted their grandmother along. “What should I dress as?” Previous years I’ve been a Black Widow, Bat Grammy, and a witch.

“An Old Granny!” they responded and laughed. They love to tease me and call me an “Old Granny.”

They want to see old? I’ll show them old!

I imagined my grandmother, Ola Gilchrist Smith. She was born in 1891. Throughout my life, she wore her hair up in a tightly-pinned bun, below the knees and long-sleeve dresses, and black granny shoes. She’s historically known as a “Turn-of-the-Century” Grandma born between 1870-1900.

How different she’d looked from Mama, “Grandma Rosser” who was born in 1923. Mama always wore her red hair down and dressed in clothes that were typical for a “Greatest Generation” Grandma–those born between 1900-1925. Unlike her mother, she wore pants and wind suits and tennis shoes. One of my favorite memories of Mama in her Grandma Rosser years, was watching her playing softball with these grandkids on her broad front yard. I remember thinking, “That’s the kind of grandma I want to be.”

In my online search about generations of grandmothers, this was interesting:

“Grandmother names and typical dress styles evolve in generational waves, tracking the standard 30-year lifecycle from a baby name’s peak popularity to when that generation reaches grandmotherhood. The clothing these grandmothers wear typically divides into two categories: the youthful trends of their prime (what they wore in family photos) and the functional “comfort wear” they adopted in their later years (what their grandchildren actually remember them wearing).”

After Mama’s generation of grannys, there are the “Mid-Century” Grandmas born between 1925-1945. It was fascinating to read about the styles of each category’s younger and older grandma years.

And then I got to my generation of grandmothers and we’re called the “Boomer” Grandmas since we’re born between 1946- 1964. Most of the time when I’m with my grandsons, I wear my athletic-active grandma clothes of lycra leggings and tee shirts. I have to be able to play a bit of soccer or hang out at the baseball field.

I wondered what image of a grandmother came to mind when my grandsons said to dress as “an old granny.”

This morning, Baker had a soccer game. Afterwards, we talked about the plans for tonight.

“Are you going trick or treating with us?

“I am.”

“What are you dressing up as?” he asked. I reminded him that he and Parks asked me to come as an “Old Granny.”

Baker hesitated a moment and said, “So you’re not dressing up.”

Ouch! I didn’t know that dressed in my “active Grandma wear” for the soccer game I’d looked like the “Old Granny” he’d pictured as an eight-year-old. Or does he have a dry wit and knew what he was saying was humorous? He showed no change of expression so I’m not sure.

I spent the week collecting items for my costume. So I guess I’ll just put it all together, practice my “Old Granny” walk and show up. And I hope to hear the belly laughter like the day they told me my costume for tonight.

Hope you have a Fun Halloween no matter your costume, no matter your age!

Connie