la Década de los Muertos

I took this picture back in 2011: my first Día de los Muertos celebration. Then, I was just starting my journey of getting to know myself, symbolized by my transition from "Chris" to "Topher." My sister died a year prior, and my cousin passed a year before that. (My aunt passed around this time as well.) My sister's death in particular directly inspired my current writing trajectory, so in a strange way, I'm grateful for that gift—I just regret the cost.

As I look back on my personal journey over the last few years, it is amazing how much the dead have influenced how I've lived. That is why I cherish this time of year in particular. Those of you who read "Three Short Ghost Stories" discovered they were written with love in mind...not fear. (Well, the hotel might have been one minor exception, but it can be argued that those ghosts were simply being eternally hospitable, right?)

In fact, I try to do everything now with love in mind, first and foremost. In the end, it is all that will matter. 

Happy Day of the Dead, for all of you, no matter which side of the veil you inhabit.