Day of the dead was earlier this week but it came and left so quickly. I woke up on Wednesday morning to my mother setting up her altar in our living room. She always gets in the spirit for almost each holiday and family birthday. Whether it is my birthday, Easter, Halloween, Christmas or New Years Eve she will always decorate.

For the altar, everyone (including us) place only the orange flowers called Zempasuchil. I helped her make a Zempasuchil chain to hang against the wall alongside a colorful skull.

She had an uncle; grandparents, father and a brother pass away. My uncle and grandpa passed away when I was really young so I have few memories of them, I only have photographs. She placed those photographs I would always see taped to her bedroom mirror onto the table.

I took care of my laundry that day and she left to do her weekly errands. When she came back she excitedly called me over. It turned out that while we were each busy taking care of business, my grandpa and my uncle came over.

She had served bread, cup of coffee for all of her beloved family members. My grandpa and great grandpa both liked to smoke cigarettes so she placed one for each of them. We noticed that my grandpa's cigarette was soaked and his coffee was spilled onto the paper plate and napkin. My great grandpa's cigarette was also soaked and broken in half. My uncle's coffee cup was halfway gone and his napkin was soaked.

She stood there quiet for a few moments and a few tears came rolling down her face. Seeing your mother cry... that does something to you. There were tears of joy, she was happy they came to visit her home. I became emotional too and I let out a few tears.

My mother is fairly young and so is my father. They have been there for my siblings and I through everything. I don't need to go on, I'm sure you all know how supportive parents can be. But holding my mother in that moment I felt as if time stood still. Nothing else mattered, my small concerns about work, school, friends, etc did not matter. Then and there all I cared to do was to be there for her... just like she has for me.

Don't get me wrong, I have always appreciated my parents. But as I am getting older and receiving a dose of reality each and every day, I value them MUCH MUCH more. Don't know where I would be without them.

I want to succeed in life and be able to treat them. To see a smile on my mother's face. For both of them to be proud of how far I have come, how I have grown.

This holiday, this year has helped me appreciate my parents and siblings a lot more. The thought of losing any of them breaks my heart. My mother lost her father and brother but she is still whole. I don't know how she does it but damn, is she strong. Because I don't know if I would be. This was a reminder that we can all be gone tomorrow and to appreciate every moment with them; argument or hug.