Dia De Los Muertos
The day after Halloween down here in the South is either All Saints Day or Dia De Los Muertos, depending on your inclination. I prefer Dia De Los Muertos because I am in a melancholy mood. Dia De Los Muertos is traditionally celebrated by a gathering of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died in the past year. This year I will celebrate by remembering my daughter Sophia Anne.
She died on January 13, 2008 at about 5:30 in the evening. I was 31 weeks pregnant. I'm not sure if it had ever occured to me what happens when a pregnancy fails that long into term. I'm used to hearing from people who have had early pregnancy failures and I'm not saying that their pain is any less than mine, but I had labor induced and delivered a stillborn baby. No birth certificate was ever issued, just a death certificate.
It was really sad to spend the money that my husband and I had saved up for this little girl on funeral expenses. We saved up money expecting to buy diapers and formula and clothes and all we ended up paying for is her casket and mortuary care.
I remember recieving Last Rites in the hospital. I know they don't call it that anymore but the prayers are the same. I remember being hallucinatory because of the pain medication they had given me and trying to coherently speak to the priest who had come to visist. I remeber my parents, Allen, and his parents standing around my bed. I remember asking if they could baptise Sophia and the priest said they couldn't do that. It's funny how you find your religion at a time like that.
So this Dia De Los Muertos or All Saint's Day remember someone special to you who has passed away.
Labels: NaBloPoMo
