OCHO Candy Story
"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."
-Emily Dickinson
I've never had much of a sweet tooth, but now more than ever, I appreciate a well-made treat. I attribute much of this new found appreciation to a better understanding of the time and ingredients that go into making such treats, but I also attribute it to getting older. As we age, we become increasingly aware that life is full of pain and disappointment. We can choose to let life's pains and disappointments define our journey or we can focus on life's beautiful moments. Life is, after all, what we make of it, or what I like to say, what we celebrate. Even its end. This is all a long way of saying that for me, treats represent celebration--a sweet moment in time worth savoring.
My husband likes to tell people that I always have a reason to celebrate. He isn't wrong. Life is too short and fragile not to celebrate the good things we have and the wonderful firsts we encounter--even if it's the first whisper of summer wind, or a trivial holiday like National Pizza Day.
One of my favorite holidays is Dia De (Los) Muertos, or Day of the Dead. I didn't celebrate it growing up, but I remember being drawn to the occasional images of cempasúchil, or the bright orange marigold flowers that adorned ofrendas, the large alters people fill with photos of their loved ones and their favorite delicious treats. My family is from Northern Mexico, where the holiday isn't celebrated as much as it is in the southern and central parts of the country. So while I didn't start celebrating Dia De Muertos until I was in college, I have celebrated it each year ever since. To me, it is one of the most magical celebrations on the planet, and I am proud of its Mexican roots.
If you're not sure what Dia De Muertos (also called Dia De Los Muertos) is all about, it is a multi-day Mexican holiday dedicated to remembering family members and friends who have passed away. People come together to celebrate the lives of their loved ones who have departed and to support their loved ones' spiritual journeys in the next life. I love Dia De Muertos because it takes what is often one of the most painful parts of life, death/loss, and turns it into a natural part of a life and a reason for celebration.
For this shoot, I wanted to combine Dia De Muertos with the American traditions of Halloween. Yes, I celebrate Halloween, too. I grew up dressing up and trick-or-treating, but I'm not into scary masks or blood and gore. I focus all of my home decor on Dia De Muertos, but still like to dress up and hand out candy on the 31st.
And I like to make sure I hand out the good stuff! So, when Halloween rolled around this year, OCHO was a no-brainer. If you're gonna celebrate, celebrate well, am I right?
My neighbors (the best neighbors I've ever had, tbh) were kind enough to let their dog, Lorca, model for the shoot. Lorca was totally confused and often distracted by being so close to her home and yet so far away from her family. Still, she was a total sweetheart and a real trooper. The evening lighting was also tricky to work with, especially while being confined to the porch, so the photos are not the best. But the shoot was still really fun!
And now my neighbors are moving, which is really sad. But they're moving to Texas (holla!) and I'll probably make a dessert for their going-away party and celebrate that they lived next door to me even if it was only for a little while.
Life might not be the party you expected, but there are always reasons to dance and eat delicious treats!
