The Ritual of Remembering by Mari Eckstein GowerMy Japanese Aunt joined our family as a war bride in the 1950s. She introduced me to a wide world of ideas. Of all these, her little Shinto altar to her ancestors was my favorite. As the older generation in my family died away, I wanted to create a ritual to remember them. So, I thought of my aunts shrine & began celebrating All Souls Day with my own altar. In late October I imagine my deceased loved ones arrive like migrating Monarch butterflies.