Today, while buying a few items for my ofrenda for el Día de los Muertos, I had to explain to my six year old what the day means. Somewhere in the conversation I explained to him that everyone dies.
What a bummer! 😨
The poor kid looked at me with such a look of disappointment that all I could do was laugh. The fact that Halloween was 2 days ago did not help either with all those monsters and scares still fresh in his precocious mind. While he expressed his not-wanting-to-die, an old man walked slowly beside us. As I glanced at the stranger whom I noticed was hunchback it only occurred to me to say was that I was going to die too. So was that man on the isle and all of our family, and everyone in the world. The same way leaves change color and fall and pets get sick and pass over. Every living thing eventually dies. It is a natural process of nature. Being a clever little one he continued asking me when were we all going to die. I told him that only God knows when everyone is parting this earth. By putting it that way, I think he understood a little more and resumed his activities.
This is my first year doing an official offering. I usually just light up a candle and call it a day. May be because I "tend" to my dead throughout the year by buying them (especially my grandma) flowers and lighting a candle. But this year I felt compelled to really involve myself in the holiday because of the parting of my compadre Antonio who passed away a little under a month ago due to a possible suicide.
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| Left to right: My uncle "Tito" who passed away in 1992, My grandmother "Juana" who passed away in 2011 and my good friend "Nano" who passed away in 2010 along with wildflowers, candles, candy, fruit, coffee, vodka (a favorite of Nano's) and peanuts (a favorite of grandma's) Comrad Antonio's photo not shown in respect to his family. |
My maternal grandmother was a very devout woman. Most of what was inculcated in me about religion as a child is attributed to her. One of the things she'd say was that cowards do not enter the reign of heaven. At a very young age I learned not to fear death because that would mean, in my understanding, that I wouldn't be deserving of heaven.
Juana (pictured above) as everyone called her passed away a few years ago and she is my angel in heaven. I am so thankful that I had someone in my life such as her to plant the seed of courage and acceptance for the unknown.
Today, I remember my grandma and her teachings and that of a few other family members. Wether it be on El Dia de los Muertos or any other day of the year, we should all remember our dead relatives in one way or another. If not for tradition, then at least for the hope that one day, hopefully someone will remember us when we're all gone. After all, like my son learned today, we are all going to travel that road eventually.
Ofrenda: offering
Día de los Muertos: day of the dead
Compadre: a comrade, the best man at your wedding, the godfather to your child
