Every year the candles are lit on my ofrenda to my Mom.
The significance of Dia de los Muertos is to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died
My ofrenda contains photos of her young and old, a photo of my parents wedding and a photo of my Mom with my oldest brother who is with them now......... her charm bracelet laden with memories she collected, her watch, her glasses on their chain and other various items.
The statues of Mary and St. Theresa in this photo above (Therese lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love. She believed that just as a child becomes enamored with what is before her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love. Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love.)
were my Moms and they are quite old. I cherish them, though I am not a religious person per se (in terms of organized religion)......I have an infinite faith in the feminine divine.
I had plans to make another ofrenda for my Dad, brother and sister-in-law..... but time got away from me.....I still will. I also have a bisque skull ready for paint and that didn't get done either.........but I still will. I also wanted to make some catrinas...but still will.
The important thing is to honor our lost loved ones.........now and every day.
As my Mom was readying to leave this earth I would step outside to compose myself.....and each time I would stand under this tree and look up. I had a little camera in my bag so I finally took a photo while I was out there. There was something about looking up through the branches void of its leaves revealing the blue sky that served to calm me in that moment. See how blue the sky was.......2 days later she passed and the sky turned dark and dreary and gray. I wish I had a stick from that tree for her shrine.
Since then I love taking photos looking up through trees.
So look up.......look up at the sky and...........
............have a wonderful weekend and always cherish your memories and loved ones for I know they are always with us. We must CELEBRATE the beauty of having had them.
