As Halloween approaches, the spooky season brings a mix of fun, chills, and eerie decorations. We expect to see creepy yard displays, not cheerful holiday lights, at this time of year.
However, Halloween spirit doesn’t mean we have to forget about kindness. This was the message shared by Halloween enthusiast Salena Webb, a mother of four from South Carolina, in a viral TikTok video.
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| @thatsnorthsense/TikTok |
Salena, who loves decorating for Halloween, transformed her front yard into an elaborate graveyard scene complete with ghosts, spider webs, tombstones, pumpkins, and skeletons carrying a casket. Setting up the display took time and creativity, but when a neighbor approached her with a heartfelt request, she didn’t hesitate to make changes.
@thatsnorthsense My family knows i loveeee Halloween and my decorations took me awhile to make and put up. I had just purshased the skeleton carrying the casket to go along with my graveyard to really set my halloween decor off this year🥴 I was a little sad at first but i thought about the bigger picture. Me removing my casket isnt hurting me at all but it may ease and bring my neighbor a little bit of peace as he adjusts to this news. Kindness is free and compassion goes a long way. Now what to replace it with🥴😩#Thatsnorthsense #dailyvlog #compassionforothers #halloween2023 #loveyourneighborasyourself ♬ Kindness Is Free! - Music with Michal
In the video, Salena recounts the conversation with her neighbor, who asked if she could remove some decorations for his elderly father’s sake. He shared that his father, recently diagnosed with lung cancer, found the display, particularly the casket, unsettling. “Hey, I know you’re celebrating Halloween,” he told her, “but my dad thinks the decorations are a bit scary.” He pointed to the graveyard scene, asking if she’d be willing to take out just the casket.
Salena immediately empathized. Her neighbor’s father often sat in his garage, which faced her yard, so she understood why this might be distressing for him. “I didn’t want my decorations to be a reminder of what he might be facing,” she told Insider, explaining her decision. “I didn’t want to add stress to someone else’s life.”
@thatsnorthsense Replying to @JennAngel 🪱🌈🪐☁️🪅💠 maybe some can now understand why they were a little touchy about it and at night theres fog that i have come out from it🤣 so i get it.. #Thatsnorthsense #dailyvlog #compassionforothers #halloween2023 #loveyourneighborasyourself ♬ original sound - Salena|GardenLife|DailyLife
To accommodate her neighbor’s request, Salena took down the casket and swapped out the skeletons’ roles, giving them badminton rackets instead. She moved the spookier decorations to her backyard. “At first, I was a little disappointed,” she shared in her TikTok caption, “but then I realized that taking away the casket didn’t cost me anything, and it might really help my neighbor feel a bit better as he copes with this news. Kindness is free, and compassion goes a long way.”
Salena’s thoughtfulness quickly gained attention. Many praised her for her kindness, while some followers reflected on how they might have handled the situation differently. But most applauded Salena’s choice.
“Now, this is what being a good neighbor is all about. Kindness doesn’t cost anything,” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “Beautifully handled. The world needs more people like you!”
In a final gesture of goodwill, Salena brought her neighbor a card and balloons after removing the casket. Despite the language barrier between them, she could sense his gratitude. He told her, “You’re good people.”
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