Recordar es vivir

There’s an old Spanish saying, “Recordar es vivir” (To remember is to live). Our family uses this expression to recall special events that have happened in our lives.

As a toddler in Mexico, I’d wake in the early morning hours to the smell of a wood-burning fire and the sound of hands patting “maza” (corn flour). I enjoyed watching my grandmother cook and learned the “art” of making tortillas from her. This treasured memory is something I will share with my daughter as she grows older. “Recordar es Vivir!” Come together with family and friends to remember those who died. Share their stories. Share the truths they have taught you. Delight in your memory of them and in the knowledge that one day you will all be together in the communion of saints.

“Recordar es Vivir!” Remember and celebrate your family’s and your friends’ accomplishments and milestones. “To remember is to live!”

“Recordar es vivir” was excerpted from the All Anew devotional coloring book produced by Women of the ELCA and Gather magazine. Today we remember Stephen, deacon and martyr.