In Duncan, South Carolina, Halloween is more than a holiday for local mother and artist Salena Webb — it’s an annual celebration of creativity and community spirit. Each year, Webb transforms her yard into a spooky masterpiece featuring tombstones, skeletons clutching coffins, cobwebs, and eerie lighting that draws families from across the neighborhood. Her goal has always been simple: to bring joy, laughter, and a little frightful fun to those who pass by.
This year, however, her elaborate display unexpectedly stirred controversy. A nearby resident reached out to Webb with a heartfelt request. His father, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer, found the graveyard-themed decorations emotionally difficult to see. The sight of skeletons and headstones served as a painful reminder of mortality during an already stressful time.
The message was delivered with kindness but carried a clear appeal: would Webb consider changing or removing her display to ease the man’s father’s distress? For Webb, it was a moment of reflection. Her setup represented weeks of hard work and creativity, but she realized the importance of compassion over decoration.
Rather than reacting defensively, Webb made the decision to dismantle the entire graveyard portion of her Halloween exhibit. “There’s always next year for me,” she said in a TikTok video that quickly went viral. The clip, which has since been viewed more than a million times, captured her belief that kindness costs nothing — and that empathy should always outweigh personal pride.
Viewers flooded her comments section with praise, calling her decision inspiring and selfless. Messages such as “You’re an amazing person!” and “This is what being a good neighbor looks like” reflected a shared admiration for Webb’s response. Her actions demonstrated that thoughtfulness can turn potential conflict into a moment of shared humanity.