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Sunday, November 2, 2014

All Soul's Day - A Remembrance

I was born to an Irish father and Irish/Polish mother (with various things mixed on both sides) and raised in much simpler time in a little Los Angeles suburb called El Monte. El Monte and the Southern California area has a rich Hispanic history and culture but I truly never knew or felt it. Perhaps it is because I was raised in a mostly white neighborhood and in a time where it seemed like everyone pushed their own heritage aside in an attempt to be part of the larger and more accepted white majority.

It wasn't until I left California for me to actually see the culture before me here in Tucson. I suppose I could have opened my eyes more had I stayed in Southern California but in Tucson, it was more of a gentle immersion. There didn't seem to be any hard lines between the different races and beliefs. Here Mexicans, Asians, Blacks, Europeans, Native Americans ~ everything seems to blend together and each culture is respected for what they bring to the community.

While there is so much about each ethnic group that I enjoy, the one that speaks to me is the Hispanic culture. This is likely because I have lived in Tucson so long and my husband was largely Hispanic. But there is no denying the beauty of the culture. It's an odd place for me internally because much of the culture surrounds their rich religious beliefs and relationship with the church and well, I don't share those beliefs at all. But I appreciate the beauty and tradition. I prefer to link the beauty, tradition and way of life to something greater than a specific religious belief, but more to an overall understanding that we are all alike and some kind of greater existence exists for us all. Something none of us truly knows.

Today is All Soul's Day and I feel a great connection to the celebration. Yesterday (Nov 1) was All

Saint's Day where all the Saints are celebrated and is a reminder of how we are supposed to live.
All Soul's Day (Nov 2) is about all the souls who have died before us and asking that they be guided and granted to an everlasting life - whatever that life may be in your beliefs. Because of my own personal religious beliefs, while I think All Saint's Day is beautiful, there is no meaning for me. However, All Soul's Day is deeply intimate and personal. I embrace the beauty, the love, the pain, the sorrow and the celebration.


1 comment:

  1. And once again, this just happened to post at 11:11. I love you, Al.

    ReplyDelete