
By Ruby Garcia
I didn’t grow up celebrating Día de los Muertos, but after losing my brother 20 years ago, I began to understand why remembrance is sacred. Building an ofrenda became a bridge and a way to honor him, no matter how much time had passed. Día de los Muertos gave me permission to grieve, to feel, and to celebrate all at once.
When I pull out my brother’s old sweater, his guitar pick, or even his toothbrush (he had an obsession with perfect white teeth), I’m reminded that our daily choices are our living legacy. The meals we share, the words we speak, the causes we champion...they tell the story of who we were long after we’re gone.
Every year, Día de los Muertos asks me: “How do you want to be remembered?”
I’ve sat with that question for years. And my answer remains the same: I want to be remembered as someone who lived boldly, loved deeply, and used her voice to fight for what’s fair, just, and true. Someone who modeled courage so that her children and her community could do the same.
In my coaching work, I’ve learned that grief shows up in many forms, not just through death. We grieve lost relationships, missed opportunities, and even old versions of ourselves.
Día de los Muertos reminds us to pause and make room for those feelings. To tell the truth about what we’ve lost and what still hurts, and to do so without judgment.
We grieve when friendships end. We grieve when a dream changes form. We grieve when we realize we’ve outgrown a chapter of our lives.
When we don’t make space to feel those smaller losses, they accumulate. Ignoring those micro-losses is like emotional debt, it compounds over time. Over time, that emotional weight can show up as burnout, disconnection, or a sense that something’s “off,” even when life looks fine from the outside.
Grief doesn’t have an expiration date. It shifts and surprises you when you least expect it. And it’s not only about death, but it’s also about the loss of expectations, identities, or the version of ourselves we thought we’d be.
Día de los Muertos reminds us to make space to feel, to honor both joy and sorrow.
Some ways to process grief:
Día de los Muertos isn’t a solo act of mourning, but it’s a celebration in community. Through ofrendas, food, music, and storytelling, we’re reminded that we belong to something larger than ourselves. We remember that loss doesn’t have to isolate us, but it can bring us closer when we allow ourselves to share it.
In leadership and life, that truth holds power. Healing together builds resilience. It strengthens trust. When we gather in remembrance, we practice the art of seeing one another fully, the joy, the pain, the humanity.
At its heart, Día de los Muertos is about remembrance, but it’s also about perspective. It reminds us that life and death are intertwined, and that every moment we’re given is an opportunity to live intentionally.
Whether it’s setting up an ofrenda, lighting a candle, or simply taking a few minutes to remember someone who shaped you, these small acts matter. They remind us that the best way to honor those who came before us is to live in a way that reflects their love and the lessons they left behind.
So ask yourself this Día de los Muertos: How will you honor those who came before you by the way you choose to live today?
In Remembrance,
Ruby
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Click here: Quick tutorial on how to build an altar
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Ruby Garcia is a Leadership & Visibility Coach for Latinas ready to stop playing small, Keynote Speaker, Hypnotherapist, and Co-Founder of the Latino AI Summit, driving Latin@ leadership and organizational inclusion.
Read the original post on LinkedIn.