I grew up hearing the song that began today’s service. Volver, Volver means Come Back, Come Back. This cry for a lost loved one to return has graced many a Mexican and Tex-Mex funeral, and in my experience it’s usually at that point in the service when even my stoic aunts begin to weep. Volver, Volver. Come back, Come back. Today, I am mindful of the fact that with nearly 5 million deaths worldwide from Covid-19, seven hundred thousand of which have been in the United States, many of us in this room bring fresh and incomprehensible losses. I hope you will find a moment over the next few days to light a candle, write their name, and place bright marigolds around their memories. Today I am especially remembering my grandparents who died when I was a teenager, as well as two cousins who died in 2020, the latter of Covid-19. Día de Muertos is a day for visiting graves, for building an ofrenda, and for remembering those who have passed to the other side. Everyone knows this – in no small p
By Miguel Escobar