PUMPKINS, YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL JUST THE WAY YOU ARE

Some people will do anything to not have a normal looking pumpkin in their house. 

"Orange is so garish! Spray paint it black!"

"Oh, I've got some glitter! Put some glue on it and I'll toss it on!"

"No, you definitely want to cover it in burlap. And chevron patterns!"

"I have some gemstones left over from bedazzling my denim purse! Hand that pumpkin over!"

"Ooooo pink and black polka dots! That's still seasonal, right?"

"Plaid? Can we wrap it in plaid?"

"All of my pumpkins are organic gray gourds I've paint splattered with authentic black soy bean paste and they fit my home's aesthetic."

"MORE GLITTER"

Honestly, this really upsets me. Pumpkins are the most beautiful in their natural state. Maybe a quick wipe down to get the dirt off after taking one home from the patch, sure, but altering their appearance? We can't let them think they should be something they're not. Do we really want all the baby pumpkins growing up seeing these unrealistic expectations of what they should look like? Do we really want our pumpkins to be dissatisfied with the way they are when they look in the mirror? Do we want them to see missing rhinestones or a lack of stripes and frills, or do we want them to notice their vibrant orange coloring, curved stems, and the way their asymmetrical lumps make them each so unique? We can't hold them to a standard that they'll never live up to. It's just wrong. Unethical, even. 

Pumpkins, you're beautiful just the way you are. Don't let glue-gun Sally tell you any differently.