Frankenstein, Family and Friends

On a dark and stormy night (well, afternoon) in 1816, a young Mary Shelley told her spellbound friends a story about a man who created life with science and a little lightning. That tale became Frankenstein, a book considered the first science-fiction novel and more than capable of scaring readers today.1

Would Mary Shelley have written Frankenstein if she hadn’t gathered with friends that rainy day? Maybe. But I think there’s something special about the way this story — which has been read, enjoyed, adapted, and served as inspiration for other stories for more than two centuries now — first came about. Good things can happen when we come together with people we care about, whether they be family, friends, or friends who feel like family. Ideas can flourish. Stresses and hurts can ease. And what might have been a pleasant day turns into a memory for the ages.

When we talk about the holidays bringing people together, we usually refer to, say, Thanksgiving or Christmas. And there are plenty of things to bring us closer on those holidays! Delicious dinners, warm drinks, expressions of gratitude, and nostalgic media remind us to appreciate those who make our lives a little more joyous. It all creates an atmosphere of gratitude that’s hard not to soak in.

But there’s plenty of opportunity for togetherness at Halloween, too! I remember as a kid that making a costume or decorating the house was always a special project the whole family became involved in. Some of us would help with the design and sewing. Others would focus on the props. Maybe you have fond memories of carving pumpkins together or going to a corn maze. You can decorate cookies that look like witches’ hats and bats. You can make caramel apples to bob for and gobble up together! Watching spooky movies can be another opportunity for closeness, especially if they’re the kind of silly, funny spooky that kids and adults alike can enjoy. Some scientists even think that being scared together can bring people closer!2 So, pull up that scary show or head off to a haunted house for some frights that will turn into fun memories when the danger passes.

This Halloween, as you engage in whatever frights or delights strike your fancy, take a moment to think about the people in your circle. The people you might get together with to pass a rainy afternoon with stories. Most of us may never make history or invent a new genre of storytelling, like Mary Shelley did, but we are all better for the people we keep around us. And with ghouls, ghosts, and goblins abound, Halloween is the perfect time to snuggle up just a little bit closer.  

So, to you and those you love, I wish a very Happy Halloween!

Sincerely yours,                                                      

David M. Gallagher

Wealth Manager

1 “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is Published,” History, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/frankenstein-published

2 “The Social Benefits of Fear,” Houston Relationship Therapy, https://houstonrelationshiptherapy.com/social-benefits-fear/

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