The Body of Life: Using Photo Collage to Celebrate Loved Ones

It's been 22 years since my brother and father both passed away.

Steev's birthday is 10/27 and Dad died on 10/30 so I dread the last week of October.
But it doesn't have to be this way.

Even if my body feels sad, even if my heart is crying, I can celebrate their life with a Day of the Dead style altar. 

Traditionally, the Dia de los Muertos celebration is from Nov 2 to Nov 3, but you can create an altar anytime. 

I have a year-round altar that I update weekly, so I opted for this photo collage.

Because Mom, and her granddog, (Steev's dog) Kimber have also passed, I added their photos as well.


This process made me happy because it reminded me of how silly Mom was--here she is showing off her new microwave and that Steev loved to travel.

Though I'll take the collage down after 24 hours, it was a fun way to remember---and celebrate everyone in my family. I'll be celebrating the holiday season the same way by creating another photo collage of past holiday celebrations.