This past weekend we went to the Day of the Dead celebration at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. I had a difficult time. It never even occurred to me until after we got there that I would. But I did. It started with an ofrenda set up with a photograph of two premature infants -of the NICU sort- with tubes and wires everywhere. After that it just sort of went down hill.
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We stayed just long enough for me to get my face painted and to take this photograph. Fifteen minutes later I suddenly become so sick again that Leif had to whisk me away back home, where I spent the remainder of the day on the couch.
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Our ofrenda for George:
Yesterday we spent the evening playing Little Big World Planet (edited: Leif kindly corrected me on the title of this highly addictive game) and then watching The Horror of Dracula and eating ice cream. At least the weekend ended on a positive note and that is something to feel good about.
I can imagine that the Day of the Dead celebration would have felt totally overwhelming, and I also know that feeling of surprise when I am caught off guard that something affects me so strongly when I didn't realize it would. I have found that navigating events and such is totally unpredictable - often the events that I think will be impossible are not so, and the events that I don't give a second thought to bring me to my knees.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of you with your face paint is breathtaking, and George's ofrenda looks beautiful.
Sarah, you are so right. It is impossible to predict. Which kind of adds to the whole social anxiety thing.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell Leif that you liked his photography skills:)
I'm sorry. Things just leap out at us, unexpectedly, and a situation or an event we thought would be a breeze becomes . . . difficult. Those photographs must have been hard to see. Makes me wonder if I should take down my own pictures of J, I'm so used to them that I've tuned them out.
ReplyDeleteThe facepaint and the ofrenda look beautiful.
We love Little Big Planet here too.
Catherine,
ReplyDeleteI don't think seeing photos that make people uncomfortable is necessarily a bad thing and that is certainly the case with your phots. Although the photograph I saw at the festival was upsetting it was only because I could empathize so well with the pain of the woman who set up the ofrenda. I was actually proud of her and inspired by her. She was brave enough to do something to honor her children. I wish I had said something to her, although I do not know what I could have said.
It's always tough when things you are not expecting to be upsetting in fact are so. This is the first time I've heard of an ofrenda, I really like the concept and George's was beautiful. Love the facepainting too!
ReplyDeletePS. I think sharing the pictures of babies is really important, in the two days before Bella was born I was afraid of what she was going to look like, no one gives you any information about that. Seeing others pictures online gave me confidence that I was going to be able to hold her and take my own pictures, something I treasure now.
Thank you for the kind words on my blog. I missed your other comment. It looks like we have similar blog design, creative minds think alike.:) I hope you're doing well. It's no fun being sick especially with the weather changes.
ReplyDeleteSetting up Kai's ofrenda on The Day of Dead in our neck of the woods has been cathartic for me. I had to 'steel' myself though because of families with newborn babies in that event. Just a little ways off Kai's altar there was a family of four who laid out a blanket and had a picnic. And of course, they have a newborn with them. *sigh* How ironic, I told my husband. But I quickly said, "Well, we're having a picnic of our own with our son." It was both surreal and therapeutic to be showing our grief in public.
George's ofrenda is beautiful and Little Big Planet is awesome. Take care.<3