November - choosing not to forget our deceased:

   We remember our beloved deceased during the month of November. In Trinidad's dominant Catholic culture, it is the time to clean graves, light candles and pray for the dead. My mother with her 5 sons cleaned, scrubbed and whitewashed our family plot at the Lapeyrouse cemetery situated in the heart of the city. In those earlier years of my youth, we accompanied our mother with a somber and respectful attitude. Relatives, friends and neighbours followed tradition and our cemetery seemed to 'come alive' with fresh paint, incense, lighted candles and flowers. A few Chinese graves were dotted with plates of fruits and incense. The deceased, the 'living dead' in Creole terminology, were never an isolated entity. 
   The photo above shows 3 rocks on my balcony: I remember my own deceased parents and loved ones in a new way. I kneel in a centre surrounded by rocks which symbolize the number of my relatives and friends who have died. I honor their memories. I treasure the lessons I learnt as a young man. When we realize we will all one day die; we see everything differently. We focus on what is essential. We remove from our lives all that holds us back from being the persons we are meant to become. We choose to do our best and not to take each other for granted.
   This November, I will pray for my departed loved ones and light my candles. I will kneel within the circle of my rocks and recall how grateful I am for those who have gone before me with faith and love. Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them.

entrance to the Lapeyrouse cemetery in Trinidad, S. Caribbean