Christine -- my landlady, my friend, and sainted laundress -- told me this morning that she would be building a remembrance altar for two of her pets as part of the local Day of the Dead celebrations.
I will not bore you with the background of Day of the Dead. You can find far more interesting pieces elsewhere on the internet.
Because the grave of Luna, one of her pets, is in my courtyard, she wondered if I wanted to remember Professor Jiggs, as well. I took her up on her very kind offer.
So, there he is. In the snow. Where he was far more comfortable than here in Mexico. And I can relate to that. The tropical heat of the coast is not my favorite thing about spending a bit of time in Mexico.
But this is not about me. It is about Jiggs and his favorite hedgehog.
What I like most about the Day of the Dead is that it is a ritual that helps us to remember what is far too easy to forget. The people and pets who made us what we are today on our journey towards death.
And who have left their hand prints -- and paw prints -- on our hearts.
