[DeathTouch]

I just recently had a death in the family. I was wondering if anyone here has had the same and has it affected the way you build props or stopped you from doing them all together? Or did it only fuel your Halloween fire more? I guess this would also go for someone you know as well.

Initially, I thought that making tombstones and skulls might be in some way dishonoring my mother’s memory. But all that changed once I got home and my grandmother showed me letters from my mother back when I was first born. Page after page of nothing but talk of making things for Halloween. Mostly Halloween costumes and make-up.
My father came forward and told me a few days ago that my mother, who was a beautician, secretly wanted to become a Halloween make-up FX artist. I think my mouth about dropped when I heard this. If I had only knew earlier I could have let her go through my Transworld bag of FX Make-up stuff. She could have gone crazy with that stuff. But I should have known anyway. When I was little my mom used to make it look like I had a bullet wound and deep cuts to my face by using tissue paper and eyelash adhesive. Then she would pour a little fake blood in the cut or hole. It was so real looking people would scream when I walked the halls in High School. (It was a costume day) The next year she would cut hair fibers off a costume fabric and use eyelash adhesive to glue it to my face. Instant werewolf.

So I guess through all this, I would say my answer would be that it has only strengthen my love of Halloween.

 

[Frighteners Entertainment]

Thanks for sharing DT!

 

[krypt]

hang in there bud.......and keep up the props and halloween and all.... that story should be plenty of inspiration.....i realy dont know what to say

 

[Sinister]

Way to go, DT. It's cool to know the presence of your mother was still there to spur you on to do what you love. That was a very inspirational piece. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Vlad]

Hi DT. I'm so sorry to hear of you and your families loss. I know there are no words that can really comfort you now, but I did indeed have a similar story/situation.
My brother passed away some years ago, and we buried him on Halloween day. He and I had spent our childhood making small haunted walk throughs in the basement, and would take turns trying to outdo each other. As I grew older, and began decorating outside, he was the one next to me crouching by the front picture window watching the TOTers reactions. When I got married and moved away, and began decorating my own home, he showed up every year in a different costume, and we'd hang out together answering the door, and watching horror flicks till the wee hours every Halloween night.
I can remember standing at his graveside, not wanting to do anything for that Halloween day, when I suddenly realised that letting the kids down would be the last thing he'd want to happen. I remember smiling, and thinking to myself that only he could have gotten me into a graveyard on Halloween. I went home that day and dragged out every Halloween decoration I had. My Mom was pretty shocked that I was going on with the celebration, but even she knew it was what he would have wanted. Till this day she doesn't really celebrate Halloween, other than coming over to our house.
There's no way that we're dishonoring the ones we lost that loved our holiday with the same passion that we do. We're doing it even more, because they'd want us to be happy, and want us to pick up where they left off. This is the year for you to pull out all the stops in her memory. Hang in there my friend, there'll be smiles mixed with the tears in every prop you make.

 

[Frighteners Entertainment]

Very touching. Hard to believe you would find such similar events like this.
It's very humbling.
Thanks for sharing Vlad.

 

[claymud]

DT I'm sorry to hear about your loss, and I'm glad that you have been able to carry on with your haunting.

It's good to hear too Vlad that you were able to carry on.

 

[DeathTouch]

Thank you Vlad. That does help. I decided to take this one last day off. I wasn't really to work today. I was doing ok until I saw a mother's day add for Mary Kay. Their slogan(I think) was "Mother's day starts with Kay". Of course, my mother's name was Kay so it hit home. Or maybe just a last funny remark from my mother. Who knows.

 

[Dr Morbius]

Gosh DT...I am really sorry to hear about your mom's passing. I think she would be proud of you telling that story, and continuing to build props in her memory.

 

[heresjohnny]

DT, my father died 11 years ago, I was best friends with him. I was using his computer to finish my thesis, and he would sit up with me all night while I worked on it. He and I moved us over to the east coast Florida when I graduated and got a job. 2 weeks later he died suddenly. It was really crazy. That night I was driving his old pickup truck (the one thing of his I took), bawling my eyes out because I was so shocked he was gone, with a huge smile on my face because I swear I could feel him letting me know he was in a good place and not to worry about him. Since that day I still have what I call my Dad encounters...he was a marine biologist, and butterflys would land on my arm and look at me, things like that. I actually keep a butterfly garden in his memory now.

DT, you do whatever you feel is right, I feel for you in her passing, and I hope you can find the sense that your mom is also in a good place.

 

[Frighteners Entertainment]

HJ, what can I say...just feels right. Thank you.

 

[roadkill]

DT,

I don't know you yet but I can still say this much. I feel for your loss. Keep her in your thoughts and all the good times and happy memories of her will comfort you.

 

[TipoDeemin]

DT, all I can say is that we're here for you, and that it sounds like your mom was a wonderful woman.

 

[Otaku]

DT, you are her legacy. Carry on the with the spirit of Halloween in her name. Take care.

 

[Nightshade]

Dt, I'm so sorry for your loss. But I do feel that if she loved Halloween and make-up as you said, you would be honoring her by continuing with your love of Halloween and the projects you want to do. I do believe she would not want you to stop your wonderful work. I know it is hard losing a parent. I was 19 when my Mom died of a heart attack with no warning. What a shock. Eventhough she was too busy working to support the family to enjoy Halloween I know she is happy that I am having so damn much fun building props and scaring the you know what out of the kids every year. So please keep up the great work in her honor.

 

[Michigal]

DT, my thoughts and sorrow go out to you at this time. But like all have said, you must continue the legacy of a woman who apparently passed on her love of Halloween to you. And when you feel a friendly spirit beside you as you put out your props, you'll know it's her.

 

[DeathTouch]

I guess the funeral didn’t stop me as much as I thought. On the day of her funeral I went to the cemetery that she was going to be buried and took some gravestone pictures. It wasn’t for the contest but for a lady I talk too about her family tree on-line. She was looking for information of family members in this cemetery. I found out her dates were wrong. I even have picture as proof.

I kind of feel that heresjohnny was right about the feeling that they are around. I was driving back to Chicago with my wife. We were in separate cars since she couldn’t get the time off, but only for that day. I have satellite radio in my truck. I was listening to a dance mix station, channel 36 the beat. It seemed that every song was talking directly to me from my mom. I was crying all the way to Chicago. Even as I was getting ready to turn off the truck’s motor, the last song title was “I will be in heaven with you.” You can guess that really hit home.

I was able to give the preacher some really nice stories for the funeral. I gave him two funny stories which only 1 made it to the final speech. The story that made it was the M&M story (Not what you are thinking), which made a lot of people laugh. She was trying to potty train me when I was little, so she put a bowl of M&Ms in the bathroom. She told me that every time I go on the potty that I was able to get some M&Ms. And it was working rather well. She then tells me that my dad had to use the bathroom. When he walked out of the bathroom I was standing there and said, “You used the potty, now you can grab some M&Ms dad.” Everyone laughed after that. The other story wasn’t used probably because it has something to do with porn. The preacher wrote it down, but probably didn’t want to use the porn ref. The story goes; when I was younger my parents bought one of those huge satellite dishes. And of course it had tons of porn channels but the dish had to be pointed a certain way to get them. Well, my buddy came over one day when my parents were not around. He was asking me about the porn channels. I thought, no one is around I could put it on for a while. No one will ever know. After about 5 mins we heard a car drive up to the front of the house. It was of course my mom. I scrabbled to change the satellite position to some thing else. My mother walked in and slowed climbed the stairs. A smirk crossed her face as she said, “So, what are you boys doing?” My buddy immediately spoke, “Oh, were are just watching ladies get tattoos.” My friend was such a dork! He didn’t mention that they were nude but it didn’t matter. But I found out that she already knew what we were doing, because she saw the position of the dish before she drove up.


Thank you everyone for your kind words.

 

[Merlin (The Quiet One)]

So sorry for your loss DT. Those happy memories will stay with you forever.

 

[MrsMyers666]

DT I'm so sorry about your loss. You have some great stories about your mom which are memories you'll always have. Definitely continue to do what you do for Halloween. And even though you didn't really know your mom wanted to do FX makeup anytime you do makeup for Halloween you will think of her.

 

[Hella]

Hey DT, I am very sad to hear of your mother's passing. I am sure she would want you to continue doing the things that bring you so much joy. and like a couple of the previous posts have stated, she is right there with you when you are doing these things.
May her journey in to the arms of the great mother be swift and her spirit live strong through you.