There’s Nothing Like the Day of the Dead.

For some, it only really means getting to experience the beauty of papel picado, marigolds, and pan de muerto. For some of us, it is way more than that. It’s the chance to build an altar and stare into photos that act like portals to previous lifes. It’s the chance to look back and reflect on the people we’ve lost in the form of celebration. 

For many of us, life feels race. We chase ambitions, dreams, expectations that weigh heavily on our shoulders. And yet, on Día de Muertos, we pause. We slow down. Because Day of the Dead doesn’t just celebrate those who have died, but those who will. It is a celebration of life and death, a celebration of everyone.

Far from frightening, the idea that all of us will eventually die is presented as freeing. Death is the great equalizer; it is the one certainty we all share. By celebrating it, our other fears seem to disappear. 

The Day of the Dead is just a showcase of the beauty of mortality, a call to embrace each day, each fleeting moment, without getting caught up in the false promises of endless time. Imagine if we approached our lives this way—cherishing each experience as though it might be our last, finding beauty in the transitory, and releasing the anxieties that keep us up at night. 

So, just as we place the pictures of our departed loved ones on the ofrenda, we might place our own ambitions, our dreams, and even our anxieties before us. We honor them, too. And we ask ourselves: Are these pursuits worth it? Are these choices adding to the richness of our lives, or simply adding to our stress? Día de Muertos encourages us to take stock, to appreciate where we are and who we are with now because nothing lasts forever—not even the striving.

In this way, the Day of the Dead isn’t only about the past; it’s a reminder for the present. It’s a call to live boldly, to embrace both greatness and happiness on our own terms. This celebration tells us that while life may be brief, it can be deeply meaningful. And when our time comes, may we leave behind a legacy worth remembering, knowing we lived fully, loved deeply, and chose paths that were authentically ours.

So, this Día de Muertos, may you honor not only those who came before but also the life you are living now. Don’t fear the end, for it is this very end that makes life beautiful, that makes every decision—big or small—rich with purpose. In the glow of candlelight and the scent of marigolds, let this tradition remind us all to cherish today and to celebrate the beauty of our mortality.