Dia de los Muertos-Day of the Dead Celebration

Mexico and other Latin American countries don't celebrate Halloween the way we do here in the US. They have a special celebration dedicated to honoring their ancestors and loved ones that have passed on to the non physical world. It is a time to celebrate with pictures, ornaments, foods, drinks and candy that remind them of their time together.

We always used to have candles and pictures of family members up, but it became very real for me when my oldest brother, Roger, passed away in 2009 at the age of 42, breaking our family's hearts and leaving a mark. It was like no other sort of pain I had ever experienced, and only time could really heal that. When I started my search to heal that loss, I remembered our family elders always believed in the spiritual world, healings, Mother Earth, and God, source in a personal way. Religion has taught us to dig deeper than the physical world, but as I searched, I learned that their spirit has always been with us. I believe we are all connected on a deeper level.  As we've learned from the mystics and older cultures, there is a place within us all where we feel this connection, this oneness of spirit. We are able to feel it all the time, whether people are living or not. We have all had a thought that leads to a person calling us out of the blue. We've all had a memory that has pops up where we laugh, cry, or recall a person's wisdom in just the right time or moment.

I remember going to a Dia de los Muertos celebration at el Centro de la Raza, where I saw a medicine man, El Curandero, at an altar. His face was split in half, one side of flesh and one side of bones, and it read, "El vivir es dormir. El morir es despertar." To live is to sleep. To die is to awaken. It rang true in my heart and soul and I felt my brother. I know people will call it a coincidence that my daughter was born on the same day, and close to the time, that my brother died. Coincidence or not, it brought light to that sad day. It resembles life... joy and pain intertwined. So now I choose to believe in more then the flesh and I celebration and honor my friends and family that have passed on. We will always remember you!