Mariela's pick

Carrying the heavy box, Mariela sits down at the kitchen table of her youth. As a child, Mariela would sit on a stool and watch her abuela as she made centuries-old family recipes. Closing her eyes, she can see the yellow and blue tiled kitchen, full of pots on the stove, spices filling the air, while her grandmother lovingly made her fideo con frijoles after a long day at school. As she opens her eyes, the smell of the soup fills her nose and she wishes that her grandmother were still with her to make it. Unfortunately, she passed away a week ago from a battle with cancer. The only positive thing about her grandma dying is that she would be able to add her grandma’s photo to the Day of the Dead altar this year since it begins tonight at midnight.

With a small sigh, Mariela opens the box and starts to take out the photos. With her mamá and papá busy preparing this year’s ofrenda; Mariela has been tasked with finding the perfect photograph of her abuela. This was so hard for her do: not because it was a sad activity, but because there were so many beautiful pictures to choose in the box. The first picture that Mariela picks up is one of both of her grandparents together on their wedding day. They were so happy in the black and white photo, full of hopes and dreams. While she loved this photo, it would not work because her abuelo was already on the ofrenda and she liked the photo of him that was there.

The next photograph takes her by surprises because it is not one that she has seen before. In it, Mariela is playing in the cerulean waters of the Gulf of Mexico as her grandmother watches her from the beach. She remembers this day fondly as it was the first time that she had seen the sea. She remembers how much fun she had splashing in the water and building sandcastles with her family. Living near Guadalajara, her family owned a small restaurant and did not have many opportunities to go on vacation. This was one of the only times that they had taken off from work to do something fun. Putting the photo in her pocket to look at again later, she picked up another photo.

Letting out a gasp, Mariela knew that she had found the perfect photograph. The edges may have been frayed, and the coloring fading, but it was exactly was she was looking for. Staring back at Mariela, her abuela is wearing a bright red dress with a white apron over it and her hair is in a braid down her back, and in her hands is a steaming bowl of fideo. While some of her family may not understand why she chose this picture, she knows that her grandma would be pleased with the choice.

Walking to the backyard, Mariela can see her parents putting the final touches on the ofrenda. The other pictures have already arranged on the altar, surrounded by alebrijes, pan de muerto, sugar skulls, and the petals of the cempasuchil, the Mexican marigold. On the top row, there were the black and white photos of her great-grandparents, followed by her father’s parents and her mother’s father. On the next level, there were several aunts and uncles and a few distant relatives. There was also a small photo of Mariela’s baby brother who died as an infant. Thinking of where to put her grandma’s photo, Mariela decides to set the photograph in the center of the ofrenda to represent her place in the family.

“Perfecto,” said her parents.

“Perfecto,” agreed Mariela and smiled.