Week Two - Task #09. “Altar of Marigolds”

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

The air is thick with scents of orange blossoms, candle wax, and sweet smoke. You’re in Mexico now, but this place is not sad. It sings.

Color bursts from every direction. Garlands of paper flutter in the breeze. Laughter weaves through prayers. You step into a courtyard filled with ofrendas—altars for the dead—each one a collage of memory: photos, favorite foods, childhood toys, old jokes scribbled on napkins.

A woman waves you over and hands you a marigold, pointing to an empty space on her altar.

“You know someone,” she says. “Everyone does.”

You place the flower while speaking a name.

The veil lifts, only a little.

A boy runs by wearing a sugar skull mask with the same ginger hair as Pipkin. You follow, but he’s gone.

Still, a warm pumpkin glows above you like a sunrise.

You feel comforted. For now.

Task:
Create your own Memorial Altar and post below! This can be done with Photography showcasing something you’ve put together in real life or through another medium of of Art (keeping all imagery posted directly to the forum within the 600x600 pixel guidelines), or as a piece of writing using 100 words or more for full credit. You can create a memorial for someone you know, or from the perspective of a fictional character creating it for a loved one. Please include at least 4 items/components to the offerings in your work for either option, and briefly describe the choices and imagery should you choose the art option.

Alternatively you can create another kind of Tribute for someone you love, whether it’s an Art project with a brief description, or a writing project in 150 words or more for full credit.

This task is worth 10 beans, with an additional 13 bonus beans for completing all Week Two tasks by end of activity. Deadline is 11:59pm (HOL time) on Friday November 21st.

[River Fenwick]

https://postimg.cc/21PhHPjw
Memorial for my brother:
1. Radio - He absolutely loved listening to music, whether from a radio or people singing to him.
2. Stuffed animals - He had tons of stuffed animals, some of which he was buried with and some that had been distributed among my family.
3. Flowers - They're standard for memorials, and I decided to make them orange since that was his favorite color.
4. Blanket (under the flowers) - My mother had made each of us kids a blanket when I was growing up, so it was only right to include one here, but his actual one was green and had monkeys on it.

[Kaylee Oatsong]

Hello,

My great-aunt, despite us never meeting each other often, has a special place in my heart because of her way of living. She sadly passed away, and my grandma was devastated. She lost her big sister after all. I would like to add a few items on her altar. I would add a miniature bike, since she loved riding around the city, and we would sometimes see her athletically cycling and waving to us as she passes by in full speed. Another thing I would put is sushi, with some sweet soy sauce next to it. The last time I saw her before she left us was in a sushi restaurant, and she loved this place, so did I. It was also where she told me to try some sweet soy sauce, and I should say I enjoyed it very much! Additionally, I would add a pair of hairstyling scissors. She was a hairstylist, and owned her own salon. I want her to remember that her hands are still agile and precise even when she's passed away. Finally, I would cover her altar with a fine layer of sand from her favorite beach. I sometimes visit my grandma, and I would always beg her to go to the beach. Every time we go there, we see my great-aunt, never once we haven't come across her. I sometimes remember this and I can't stop smiling.

Kaylee Oatsong

[Emily Spencer]

Roses-He loved to grow flowers in the yard, especially roses
Aquarium-He loved fish so much that his granddaughter called him "PawPaw Fish"!
Horse Statue-He was an excellent rider and won many trophies in horse shows.
Cooking Utensils-He loved to cook, especially pasta.

[Janne Halla]

You moved through life with a calm, steady presence,
never loud, never demanding attention.
Yet people noticed you because you noticed them first,
their needs, their moods, the small things others ignored.

To you, communication was not limited to sound.
You always made sure your face was easy to read,
your words slow enough to follow,
your hands ready to support a conversation
when the world around us moved too quickly.
You never grew impatient,
never treated silence as a problem to fix.
Instead, you treated it as a different rhythm,
one you were willing to learn.

At family gatherings, you were a safe place to stand.
You made space for everyone,
especially for the one who could not hear
the laughter or the clatter in the room.
You included them without effort,
as if kindness were simply another habit you practiced.

Now that you’re gone, your absence feels quiet
but not cold.
It feels like the pause before speaking,
a reminder of how much care you put into every moment.

This is my tribute to you,
my great uncle who showed me
that compassion doesn’t need volume
to be heard clearly.