Angelica Aguilera

My Altar was inspired by the love I have for my abuelitas. While I had very different experiences with both abuelitas, I still found a way to love and respect them both for who they were. All of the ofrendas, objects, and placements have meaning behind them because I tried my best to make this altar as familiar as possible. Within my journal, I made it clear that I wanted a unifying theme within my altar to show that while both abuelitas were different, they still had a little something that united them. Unfortunately, I could not find an object meaningful enough that could show this connection adequately. That is until I began placing my decorations. I used the papel picado to signify the uniqueness of each abuelita and a tissue paper flower to show the unification. The tissue paper for the papel picado is unique with its cuts, size, color, but it can also be used to make tissue paper flowers. These flowers show how while both abuelitas had their own lives (color, size, cuts) they could be connected back to their strong maternal instincts (flower). Overall, I am extremely pleased with my altar because I think it is a perfect embodiment of each abuelita. However, there are a few particular items that I feel are important and complete my altar. The first is the pink sarape I placed under my abuelita Dolores because I will always remember my abuelita being cobijada so adding a blanket just felt right. Secondly, the Rosario and little book of prayers pay homage to my abuelita Dolores’ passion for God. A third object that is really important to me is the loteria set under my abuelita Remedios. As I was putting my altar together, my dad started telling me short memories he was remembering. He told me how he would always see his mom playing with board games whenever she had the free time to do so. The last object I find resonates with me a lot is the slice of bread. It may be simple, but that slice of bread shows the maternal instinct that described my abuelita Dolores so heavily. My mom told me that mi abuelita always packed some sort of snack with her regardless of where she was going. That random piece of bread fed my mom and my abuelita on their bus ride home or at the mercado when they did not have enough money to buy all of that week's groceries. On El Día De Los Muertos, I’ll light my candles and with my family, we will take a moment to remember and honor my abuelitas. They gave me my parents, love, and the motivations I need to work hard every day, and for that I am eternally grateful.