how do you remember?

Next week I am going on a trip of a life time with my Dad to Oaxaca in Mexico. I am going to document the day of the dead down there, and learn more about it from my Dad’s perspective. Since he’s Mexican and all, he should be an expert, right?

When my Mom died almost 4 years ago, I made an altar at her Memorial of things that were something special to her or our memory of her. I loved how it turned out, and spent a lot of time just looking at it, and taking in all of the little things I had put in there in honor of her.

Her birthday is tomorrow, so it really seems like a good time to make it be all about her!

While down there, I plan on making an altar for my Mom- to remember things about her that are slowly slipping from my memory. As hard as it seems for me to think this, I feel her moving farther away, little by little. To stop this? I talk about her a lot, I do things she likes, I eat food I know she used to love.

And I will build her an altar, full of things I know she loved.

So then I had an idea. I want to honor your people. People who you have loved and lost. Send me an image, a funny story, a list of random things they loved. When I get to Mexico I will make them an altar and honor their memory.

email it to me at carla@carlateneyck.com by TUESDAY OCTOBER 27TH

I look forward to hearing how much you loved those that you have lost and all the funny things they liked

Here is a little bit of a break down of what I put in and why to give you some ideas

1. this was a sign my Mom made while she was in the hospital- she was always a crafty lady

2. this is a picture of my Mom when she was younger, and full of all kinds of sass

3. here is my little guy Jack Bibbs holding Georgie on the day she was born

4. these little Madame Alexander dolls my Mom and I used to love collecting when they came out for Halloween at McDonald’s

5. this little fairy my friend Becky got from my Mom for Georgie when she was born since she couldn’t come to the hospital to see her

6. my Mom was a huge bird lover

7. this picture was from the day my brothers were adopted

8. growing up watching the Wizard of Oz was epic to our family- I laid out Georgie’s pop up book on the Emerald City

9. this was a picture of my mom holding me on the day I was born

10. scrabble CITY! the Hernandez crew hanging ut the back ouf our fabulous station wagon

11. another of my mom’s crafts from the hospital

12. this little train my sister got for jack and said it was from my mom. he still loves it

Even if you don’t send me a story or picture, do your own altar and honor your people!!