Ofrenda for the Animals Who Walk Beside Us in Spirit

Today, in Mexican tradition, it is believed that the spirits of our beloved animal kin return to visit.

This day, part of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), honors those who have crossed the veil, both human and animal.

To welcome them home, it is customary to build an ofrenda, an altar of remembrance and love.

This altar is an act of devotion.

It honors the paws that once pressed against our hearts, the eyes that saw us in truth, and the breath that curled beside ours in quiet moments.

Gather what calls to you.

A photograph. A candle. A toy. A strand of fur. A flower. A stone from a place they loved.

Arrange these with intention.

When you light the flame, speak to them.

Share what lives in your heart. Tell them what you remember, what you feel, and what you have learned through your time together.

They are near. Their spirit moves through wind, through feather, through fur that crosses your path.

You may say,

Beloved one, you are present in all things. You are in the light, in the scent, in the breath, and in my dreams. I honor the grace that you are. I thank you for the love we share.

Sit in the quiet that follows.

The bridge lives in the heart that remembers.

Here, in this stillness, love continues.

I miss you, Titan Kitty and Kahuna, my beloved animal kin.

And to those I have loved, Stumpy, Luxmi, Trapper, Fronze.

And to my childhood loves, Molly and Obie.

Love and miss you all.