Halloween is nearly here—the season of spooks, fun scares, and a dash of darkness. Soon, eerie decorations will line yards and porches everywhere, setting the stage for Halloween night. But even during this spooky season, there’s always room for kindness. One Halloween enthusiast, Salena Webb, recently demonstrated just that, sharing her story in a TikTok video that quickly went viral.
Salena, a mother of four from South Carolina, is a big fan of Halloween. Like many, she goes all out with her yard decor, creating a full graveyard scene complete with ghosts, spiderwebs, witches, tombstones, pumpkins, and skeletons carrying a casket. It was a labor of love, and the display took quite a bit of time to set up. But when her neighbor asked her to make a change, Salena didn’t hesitate.
Her neighbor, concerned for his elderly father, who had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, politely asked if she could remove the casket from the display. In a TikTok video, Salena captured the encounter, with her neighbor explaining, “Hey, I know you’re celebrating Halloween. My dad just got diagnosed with lung cancer, and he finds the decorations a bit unsettling.” He pointed to the graveyard scene and asked, “Would you mind just taking the casket out?”
Salena immediately understood his concern. She knew that her neighbor’s father often spent time in his garage facing her yard, and the casket might be a painful reminder of his diagnosis. “I didn’t want him to feel that dread whenever he looked outside,” Salena shared with Insider. “The last thing I wanted was to add more stress to their lives.”
With that in mind, she gladly removed the casket and gave the skeletons badminton rackets instead, moving some of the scarier items to her backyard. In her TikTok caption, she wrote, “At first, I felt a bit sad about changing my display, but I realized that removing the casket wouldn’t harm me, yet it might truly help my neighbor’s family. Kindness is free, and a little compassion can go a long way.”
Salena’s act of kindness drew praise. She posted the video, asking her followers what they would have done. While some admitted they might not have made any changes, many applauded her thoughtfulness.
“This is what being a good neighbor is all about. Kindness costs nothing. Thank you for setting such a wonderful example!” one commenter wrote.
Another user added, “This was so gracefully done. The world needs more people like you! Blessings to you!”
Salena’s neighbor also expressed gratitude for her gesture. After taking down the casket, she delivered a card and balloons to his father. Despite a language barrier, she could feel his gratitude. “You’re good people,” he told her.
Through a simple act of understanding, Salena showed us that even during the creepiest time of year, a little kindness can make a world of difference.