Dia de los Muertos is an opportunity for families to honor loved ones who've died by connecting them to the present.

Valley woman Mayela Gonzalez is putting out special items for her parents, her niece and her cousins who have all passed away as part of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

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For the past several days, Gonzalez has been decorating an altar with hopes to bridge the souls of her family to this present world for a day of visiting, celebration and prayer. The exciting build up leads to the biggest day of the annual tradition on Nov. 2.

"It's the biggest day, why? Because I'm going to have to cook whatever they liked. Like the asado de pork, like the mole, like chile con carne, with their favorite drinks," Gonzalez said.

This year, Gonzalez lost several people she loves dearly, including her niece who was tragically murdered and her cousin who lost her battle to COVID-19.

Gonzalez is using this time to teach her children the meaning behind this celebration, and she has a message for the rest of the Valley.

"I would like people from the Rio Grande Valley to embrace their culture, their roots, to really understand the meaning of every single thing about Dia de los Muertos,” Gonzalez said. “Maybe we take it for granted because we're across the border from Mexico."

Gonzalez shares her story with hopes that everyone take the time to remember their past loved ones to connect and honor them in the present.