I do believe we've adopted a new tradition, and one we should have probably acknowledged long ago: The Day of the Dead. It may have been the recent passing of my grandmother CeCe, the loss of a little one close to our hearts, and the joyful reconnections this year to friends who were close to Matt's mother Posy, who died when he was only 11. It has been a significant year of reflection on the impact each of these beings have had on our lives, and how much we miss them. I celebrate that I was able to have a grandmother who was as unique and beautiful as she was, and that I remember and still feel her love for me. For Matt, although many of the tangible memories of his mom may have faded, it is no coincidence that the opportunity to hear stories of her striking, courageous life has been laid before him like a gift. 

So to commemorate this day, which is historically a celebration where the dead and the living can share a day together, the kids and I talked for a while about who we were remembering, I shared memories and photos, then we built an altar or an ofrenda to them. There are pictures, marigolds, decorated sugar skulls, papel picados, candles to illuminate their way, pan de muerto for food, drawings of them by the boys, and items that best signified who they were in the flesh. For Posy, it was a glass bottle she decorated for the IBWC (the International Black Women's Congress)–a testament to her work for African-American civil rights. For CeCe, it was a CD of one of her favorites Shirley Horn, who's singing voice sounded just like hers. 

The boys watched the altar for some time after it was done. They marveled at the colors, asked many, many questions (including when could they eat the skulls), and voiced that they wanted to keep it up all year long. But then Mateo chimed in, "It's like Christmas, right? You can't have a tree up all the time." Right.

I believe the spirits of those we love are all around us, watching, protecting, sometimes sharing. Now we have a way of saying simply, "We hear you and see you."