Día de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—is a really a big deal here! It is celebrated over two days, Novenber 1-2. The first day honors the children who have passed on and the second is for the adults. Tonight was a big celebration in the main town square. The idea behind the party is that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, so the people celebrate the lives of their deceased family members with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life.

We had two experiences that were too precious to photograph. The first was in the cemetery where we met an elderly gentleman who asked us to come see his wife’s tomb. He didn’t speak English but we were able to get by with my limited abilities in speaking and reading. He had the most beautiful dedication written on a cement replica of a book. In it he called her his queen and the life of his family. She passed away on November 28, 2020. And this was his first Dia de Los Muertos honoring her. Such a heartfelt encounter.

The second was back at our friend Jose’s ceramic/glass shop. He invited us last week to come back and see the alter he was building for his son, brother and parents. His son died nine years ago at the age of 18. He was born only four years before our son. He explained how his son loved fruit and a special kind of sweetbread that he had put on the alter. He talked about how big and strong his dad was and he also pointed out the pictures of his mom and brother. It was a special time that we were able experience because we took a little bit of time out of our day to sit and talk with a lovely store owner.

So blessed by connections this week. We weren’t meant to go through this life alone. The longer I live the more I realize that taking time to get to know and share in the lives of others is paramount to the joy we are meant to experience here on earth ❤️