La Catrina by Jose Guadalupe Posada
All those grinning skulls and clackety skeletons you see for Day of the Dead celebrations are fun, to be sure, but they are meant to convey an important message, as well. In our post about the imagery associated with the Day of the Dead, we looked at the work of José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913). A political cartoonist and printmaker during the reign of Porfirio Diaz, Posada frequently depicted politicians and other important figures as skeletons in his work.
Posada’s best known image is “Catrina,” an elegant and well-dressed female skeleton. She is said to have been inspired by a well-to-do French woman who fancied herself quite high and mighty. In drawing Catrina and other prominent figures as skeletons, Posada’s intention was to poke fun at the wealthy and to remind people that, in death, all souls are equal.
Deep down, we all know this is the truth. Yet it’s all too easy to forget amidst the frenzy of our daily lives. In his landmark book (honestly, this was a life-changing book for me. I can’t recommend it highly enough), The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey devotes an entire chapter to “Beginning with the End in Mind.”
The chapter starts with a powerful visualization exercise that you may want to try. It goes something like this (for the complete version, pick up a copy of the book):
Clear your mind and go somewhere you can be alone and uninterrupted.
Now imagine that you are attending the funeral of a loved one. You come into the funeral parlor and hear the solemn organ music playing. When you walk to the front of the room and look in the casket, you see that the deceased is you.
This is your funeral and it is taking place three years from today. All the other people who are in attendance are there to honor and remember you.
Imagine that there are to be four speakers. One is a member of your family. The second is a good friend. The next speaker is someone you knew from your work or profession, and the final speaker is from your church or community organization.
Now, take a moment to think deeply about this. What would you like for each of these people to say? In what ways do you hope you have influenced and affected the people in your life? What accomplishments would you like to be remembered for? What difference do you want to have made in the lives of your family and friends? In the world around you?
When you are ready, write down some of the thoughts and impressions you had.
Covey ends this section of the book by relating a conversation between two friends at the funeral of a mutual acquaintance. “How much did he leave?” one asked.
“He left it all,” the other responded.
***
You can’t take it with you. No one can—not even the fashionable Catrina—as Posada illustrated so well. All that matters in the end is what we leave behind. And Covey’s exercise will help you get clear on just what you’d like that to be…
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