November 2, 2016 – Dia de Los Muertos

Día de Los Muertos

“The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends,

and where the other begins?”

Edgar Allan Poe, (1809-1849) American writer

     Who indeed

     “The Day of the Dead” (or All Souls Day, November 2) is especially celebrated in the Mexican culture. It’s the day of remembering those who have gone before us. Coming as it does the day after “Día de Todos los Santos” (All Saints Day), it seems to be saying it’s important to remember everyone―not just those who are called saints; but especially to remember those whom we loved.

     It’s also the day to “remember” or better, call to mind, the day of our own death―not a topic particularly popular or encouraged in most Western cultures―to our detriment, I believe.

     The thoughtful consideration of death can lead us to a more fully lived and intentional life. There’s nothing lugubrious or funereal or depressing about it; it’s simply looking at the inevitable. And the more accustomed we are to making friends with our own death, the less fearful and threatening it will likely become. By considering death, we take away some of its power to put us off. The idea is that when it comes, we’ll already be acquainted.

     This week: Call to mind those you loved who have died―and that some day, someone will be thinking of you.