Story by Itxhel Montano, Summer 2023
Marigold, or as I know it, cempazuchitl is a plant that holds a lot of cultural significance. Marigold is used to guide our loved ones that have passed away to our home on the Day of the Dead. Prior to me turning 14 I never really felt a personal connection when it came to this tradition but when I turned 14 everything changed. My paternal grandfather passed away. This was the first death in my family that I had lived through. During this time in my life, I was straying away from my culture and practices. After my grandfather’s passing, I felt that I had to continue the practices he taught me and to honor him in a way I knew he would have loved.
I helped my mother set up the altar that year and it was very comforting. As we were setting up the altar, I was able to reflect on the memories I had with my grandfather. What I remember most clearly was when I talked to him for the last time before he passed. Despite only talking to him for a minute, he was very happy to hear from me. I noticed how he wanted to respond, but due to how weak he was he wasn’t able to talk back. But that didn’t stop my grandpa from finding other ways to engage in the conversation. Five minutes after we talked, he passed away, but before he passed, he talked to my family about how I had finally called him. This really let me know how important I was to my grandfather and how much he valued family. To this day, I still set up my altar with all of his favorite food.