Today and tomorrow in Mexico, people will not just honor, but celebrate their departed loved ones. The human heart grieves long after a loved one has passed, and the traditions of Día de Muertos create a beautify communal moment.

Some of the traditions in Mexico include enjoying a loved one’s favorite foods, creating a memorial altar, sharing stories and memories, or relishing photos or cherished mementos.

We are in a moment of history where technology is changing how the heart (not the brain) takes in information. Through ancestry DNA testing, individuals can now better understand their own heritage and often uncover information that was previously unknown or hidden to them. The concept of the shape of one’s tree, as well as a connection to a vast number of ancestors is coming into a new focus as a result.

Sometimes new technology can be paired beautifully with treasured traditions. Dia de Muertos is such an occasion. Whether you are someone with a traditional tree, or more commonly today, from a family tree that includes adoption, donor-conceived individuals, information about ancestors involved in slavery, or people with misattributed parentage (i.e., discovered surprise DNA results through testing) the traditions of Dia de Muertos can be a powerful tool for processing an evolving sense of family and connection to ancestors.

Honoring Loved Ones

In the tradition of this special day, I honor the ancestors that lived in order for you to be in this very place. I honor the ways you are continuing their stories, and in other ways pushing yourself to create new ones. And I honor the ways we are all connected as a human family.

While not in the Mexican tradition, this audio meditation serves as a means to process ancestor wisdom in your journal: insig.ht/gm_153527

Image by Danie Blind from Pixabay