Day of the Dead: Wesley White

Wesley White

November 5, 2015

Spanish 2 Benchmark

Día de los Muertos

T.A.G English Reflection

The person who passed away was my great-grandmother.  To be more specific, her name was Margaret, but we, her great grandchildren, usually called her “Peg mom.” The way we got this name was one day some of my cousins came up with it to give her a distinct name that she could be known for.  From that point on, we called her peg mom and that name stuck.  Along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren calling her “Peg mom,” many of her best or closest friends and really almost anyone called her “Peg” and that was her nickname. The real reason for this is because Peg is another way of saying Margaret, but she was never really known as Margaret, even though it was her real name.  Apart from her being my great-grandmother, she was my mother’s grandmother.  I am saying this not to state the obvious, but to say that my mother was very close to my great-grandmother while she was still living.  And, of course, my grandmother was close to her as well, and she was definitely shaken when she passed.  So, she wasn’t just a great-grandmother, although that is what she was to me.  She was a mother, an aunt, a grandmother, a great aunt, and a friend of many.

Peg mom meant a great deal to me.  I believe that I really did get to know her and learn about most of the things she liked to do while she was alive, and I am blessed because of that.  She died earlier this year in February, and the last time I saw her and got to spend time with her was Christmas Eve of last year.  It was a special time celebrating a holiday with her, but not even knowing that it would be the last memory I have of her.  However, I cherish the moments I spent conversing with her and telling her about my life in the last 15 years of her life.  I always viewed peg mom as a servant and a teacher, always talking with kindness and teaching with patience.  In addition to her meaning a lot to me, she also meant a lot to my mother and my grandmother as I said before.  My mother in particular was very close to her because she was like a mentor to her.  She lived very close to my great-grandmother, so my mom was over at her house almost every day, and she was taught many things by her.  This connects to me personally because those lessons that my mom learned were taught to me and my brothers.  So, when my great-grandmother passed, it my mother and I alike were both sad, because we were close to her in our own ways.

I created the sugar skull and mask in remembrance of her because she was important to me and my whole family.  She lived to be 96 years old and each year we will remember her.  She was a huge impact on my family and me in particular as well.  Therefore, the first person who came to my mind when I was introduced to this project was her, so peg mom is who I chose.  I also chose her because I knew that their were many aspects of her life that I was sure I could cover when I created my mask and skull.  I knew some of these areas not only by a couple of my experiences with her, but also learning about the experiences that my mom had with her, and the memories they made together.

My sugar skull reflects this person because it shows who she was and things she liked.  For example, I put stamps on it because she was post mistress, the person who runs the post office.  Also, I included some of her favorite colors which were lavender and green.  Also, on the eyes of the sugar skull, I put on buttons because she loved to collect things, and her biggest collection was of buttons.  On the mask, I included the buttons again, but I also made a piano to reflect the fact that playing the piano was one of her most favorite hobbies and it was something she had a talent for.  She was an organist and choir director for 20 years at Kirkpatrick Memorial Presbyterian.  She also enjoyed sharing her talent with others by playing when family or friends were over.  Peg mom also taught some family members a lot of skills she knew about the piano, and those skills were passed down from generations.  In addition, along with other colors, I did put her favorite colors on the mask as well.  The last thing I put on my mask was a hole for golf.  The reason for this, as you would assume, is because golf was another one of her hobbies that she liked to do.

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) has opened up my mind to celebrate the passing of my loved ones because it is a good way to spend time remembering all the good things that person has done.  Because it is a three day festival that people of Spanish culture celebrate every year it is a perfect time to not only think about the people who have died when you were living, but also to reflect on your life.  Death is inevitable for everyone.  There is no way out of dying, because everyone will die eventually.  So, instead of just mourning and being sad about a person who you loved passing, even though sometimes that is necessary, we should celebrate that person’s life and reflect upon all the accomplishments and achievements that they have made in their lifetime. In regards to my great-grandmother, Día de los Muertos has reopened my mind to how death is not just a sad time of her body leaving this earth, but it is the thought of her being in a better place that makes me want to celebrate.  After all she has accomplished and all she has persevered through though troubles came her way, her life on this earth finally came to an end, but we will never forget her.  I love you Peg mom!

Spanish Eulogy

Soy el bisnieto de este persona.  Vivo en filadelfia y tengo quince años. Tengo dos hermanos y siete primos. Ellos son los otros bisnietos de mi bisabuela.

Ella nació en Ringoes, Nueva Jersey.  Su padres fueron Charles y Marion Berger Higgins. Ella vivió en Newark pero su madre murió y ella vivió con su tía y abuela. Pero, cuando ella se casó, su esposo Harley, se mudaron a Flemington.  Ellos regresaron a Ringoes cuando ellos tuvieron hijos.  Cuando visité, ella vivío en una casa en Ringoes. Ella fue mi bisabuela.  Se graduó de preparatoria y estudió en el colegio Bloomfield para convertirse en una enfermera. Ella trabajó y fue una enfermera en el hospital presbyterian de Newark.  Después de que ella tuvo una familia, ella trabajó de casa y a la estafeta por veinte años. Mi bisabuela amó trabajar y ella fue una persona muy ocupada. Ella fue cómica y simpática.  Ella fue una bonita y muy inteligente mujer.

Estoy en filadelfia, en mi casa.  Espiritualmente, estoy contento.  Puedo vivo en tranquilidad, porque ella está y será siempre en nuestros corazónes.  Mi bisabuela vivió una larga y abundante vida, y estoy feliz para ella.  Estoy triste, pero alegre también porque tengo memorias de ella conmigo.

Yo amo mi bisabuela.  Ella fue magnífica.  Pero, toda la gente tener que morir un día.  Ella murió y ahora nosotros recordamos su vida.  Ella fue una persona increíble, y mi familia amaron ella. Día de los Muertos ayudame reflexionar en la vida de mi bisabuela. ¡Te amo Peg mamá!

Link for Video: https://www.wevideo.com/hub#media/ci/510726034

Skull and Mask Pictures