Rosie knew there was something strange about herself…everyone teased her, even her siblings! And Mom and Pop often gave her the strangest looks.

Sure, she wasn’t like most all her family of ghosts…she was PINK! But what is so wrong with that?, she wondered.

“Rosie, are you blushing?” her sister, Gertie, would always teasingly ask.

“Rosie, have you seen a doctor?” chidingly her brother Gaston would say.

“Rosie – Rosie – Pink as Posies.” Other little ghosts would sing.

Floating away to be by herself, Rosie would ponder her situation; what could it be that makes her pink?

Could it be she was washed with red socks? Naw, none of us even have red socks, she rationalized to herself.

With a sigh, Rosie floated to rest on the first limb of a big tree, without realizing she had come to rest close to Mr. Owl.

“Hoot!” Mr. Owl said.

“Oh, you are a hoot, Mr. Owl. Are you wise, too?” Rosie asked.

“All owls are wise, young lady. Well, most owls are…ok, some owls are. Are you wanting me to help you with a problem, Rosie?”

“Mr. Owl, could you? Would you? I wanna know why I’m pink and not like all of my family. I mean, who’s gonna be afraid of a pink ghost?” she asked.

“Do you know what month this is, Rosie?” the hoot owl asked.

“Of course – it’s October, the haunting season.” replied Rosie.

“Yes, it’s October, but not just the haunting season. Can you tell me the most important color for this month, Rosie?” the owl continued to question.

“Well, I guess it’s got to be orange? Maybe black? Both?” was her reply.

“Dear girl, the most important color for October is Pink. Yes, Pink! Haven’t you been seeing all the pink ribbons around you? And

humans wearing pink ribbons, too?” Mr. Owl went on to explain the reasons for ‘pink’ to Rosie.

“Hey, thanks so much for your explanations, Mr. Hoot! I gotta fast-float to tell my family, now! See ya’ later.”

“Mom! Pop! Gertie! Gaston! Guess what? I found out I’m the Special Ghost of October!” Rosie excitedly told her family.

“What are you talking about?” Mom asked.

“Well, ya’all – you know that ghosting is mostly for the last day of October, Halloween. But the WHOLE month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And ya’ know what? The color they use to make it important is Pink!

PINK – like me! So I have to get busy, I have only these last few day to help spread the word! Later, guys.”

With that exclamation, Rosie floated to all the houses in the big city and the surrounding countryside, and to malls and every place to help make people aware of breast cancer. And she didn’t scare anyone!

© Jackie (Micke) Jinks, October 2005