This episode is dedicated to our dear friend Ben Manila, who passed away a few weeks ago.
Ben's lively spirit and creativity laid the foundation for so much of what we do at the Science of Happiness.
Almost a decade ago,
he led the production of our award winning radio special on the Science of Gratitude,
which planted the seeds for this very podcast.
Ben was kind, witty, sharp and always radiated joy.
He brought a sense of adventure to every project,
celebrating stories, culture and music at every turn.
His enthusiasm was infectious, drawing us in and inspiring us to do our best work.
Ben's spirit continues to inspire and shape our work.
We're deeply grateful for the time we had with him and we will carry his presence through the stories we tell.
For me, Dia de los Muertos wasn't something that I necessarily grew up with 30,
40 years ago, when my mother migrated from our small town, Tamatlan,
Jalisco, to Southern California,
she didn't necessarily bring some of the traditions she had in the Pueblo,
and so we didn't grow up with the other Los Muertos.
When my father passed away suddenly when I was young, 20 years old,
I realized that I needed to find a way to stay connected to his memory.
Because I think in this culture in the US we don't talk about grief, we don't talk about death.
There's fear attached to it.