Dia De Los Muertos Benchmark Project

Summary of Project

This project entails a brief reflection of the loss of my grandmothers death. Along with a decorated sugar skull and face mask, this project also includes a commemoration video in spanish celebrating the loss of my grandmother. This Spanish project was inspired by "Dia De Los Muertos" or "day of the dead". This spanish holiday was created to celebrate the loss of loved ones. Enjoy!

Spanish Reflection

It was a day I would never forget. What started off as a slight chance of her living turned for the worse. Around a few years ago in the late summer, my grandma “Neicy” passed away. It was a really gloomy time, especially for her closest family. Before she died, she was constantly in and out of the hospital, but I always felt there was a chance of her still being alive. My grandmother was very special to me. She was always there for me, and my closest family member and friend. I heard the news and I was in complete shock, and the tears rolled down my face. I could not believe I had lost such a close person. She was a very friendly and open- hearted person. Even the people who did not know her very well were deeply saddened. She had a lasting effect on her children, grandchildren, family (spiritual and blood related). Overall, she was a woman of many hats to many people. She was my grandmother, but meant so much more. She would always around me to support me. She was at every recital, play and  performance. She would babysit me sometimes when my parents had to work. She was a very kind person to everyone she meant.

Since she was my grandma, I often took her for granted. Even though she was always with me, I never showed as much appreciation as I should have. When she passed away, it was too late. I remember the day she died in the hospital, she laid on a monitor and I watched her fight for her life. The whole family was gathered around her talking to her. We all would talk to her hoping she could hear us. It was a horrible sight. She died there in the hospital bed. Getting over her death was the most difficult. Realizing that I wasn’t able to see her anymore was the most devastating. I never had the chance to say goodbye. I hated that she had to leave so soon. The biggest feeling I had when she passed was not sadness, but guilt and regret. I should have taken more time to appreciate the times we shared together. I wish I could find a way to bring her back to life so I can Show her how much I appreciate her.

My other grandparents had passed, some I haven’t even met, but she was my favorite. Constantly seeing her regularly was very exciting to me. I could tell her anything. She would treat me out to eat sometimes, tell me stories, and even on her sick days she would make me feel well. Although, she had many children and grandchildren she had the talent to make everyone feel special. I am grateful to have had her in my life but often wish she was still here. I enjoyed the moments we had together. Even if it was sitting and talking, I enjoyed her company. She knew how to make everyone she loved her own, she was loving, caring, kind and someone I will never forget. Unfortunately, She died at a very young age but, I wish that she was still here with us. She meant the world to me: a friend, grandma, comedian, adviser,and many more and I hate that she had to go so soon. She was the closest family member to me. Even though I was not able to physically show my appreciation, this project will be one way I will commemorate her life and show how important she was to me. Doing this project is really helping me cope with her death and celebrate how important she was to me.

On my sugar skull, I decided to paint flowers, abstract lines and the color purple. She was not only a beautiful person on the outside, she was beautiful on the inside. She could the beauty in others. She was very friendly to others around her, everyone knew her to be very kind. We was very giving of herself. every petal of the flowers on my sugar skull represents how radiant her beauty was that everyone could see. She wasn’t just a mother, grandmother, spiritual mother and caregiver to many, she was also a friend to many. All of the abstract colors and glitter showed how much her smile could light up a room. Overall, this sugar skull showed how much her true beauty and how much she meant to all who knew her.

It’s been almost 5 years since she passed away. We have had her funeral and she has been cremated. I feel that in a sense she has been tucked away and only talked about once in a blue moon. She will never be forgotten, but she isn’t mentioned as much. Dia de los muertos has helped me realize that commemoration isn’t just a one- time event. Her life was very important in our family and she should be able to recognize her on a regular. Her life is to constantly be talked about and celebrated. Dia De los Muertos is about celebrating those that have passed, and it has opened my eyes and helped me realize that as we progress forward, we shouldn't forget about our loved ones who died years ago.