Common Edges

Episode 3 – Día de los Muertos: Altars, Ancestors & Keeping It HumanIsis and Mirna are back with episode 3 of Common Edges, and this one is about Día de los Muertos. They talk about why the holiday means more to them now than it used to, who belongs on the altar, and why you shouldn't wait until someone is gone to honor them.In this episode

• Watering a little seed. Mirna grew up making small altars, sometimes digital ones, after moving to the United States. Her husband is from Veracruz, and he has kept the tradition alive. Together they've grown it into a fuller ofrenda, built the way it's done in Mexico. She also talks about the commercialization she sees, like Calavera koozies at the grocery store. She's still glad the holiday is getting more exposure.
• Food, flowers and sugar skulls. Isis shares that her mom learned to bake pan de muerto, and that she's hunting for one that tastes like orange. They talk about sugar skulls and about Mirna's papel picado-style flowers. She planned a curtain of marigolds, ended up with 12 little flowers, and found that the "30-second" YouTube tutorials are not 30 seconds.
• Not Halloween. The two holidays land on the same weekend, but the meaning is completely different. One is about remembering loved ones, their blessings and their lessons.
• Many days, many meanings. Mirna walks through the days that honor pets, people who died suddenly, children, All Saints, and the forgotten souls. She also covers the symbolism of the marigolds, candles, food and incense.
• Do you know your great-grandparents? A speaker at an AI conference asked the audience to stand if they knew their parents, then their grandparents, then their great-grandparents. Most people had sat down by the third question. Isis and Mirna talk about family trees, scarce old photos, and how much easier it is to leave memories behind today.
• A complicated guest list. Who goes on the altar when family history is messy? Mirna shares her dilemma about grandparents who remarried and fathers who weren't present. She also imagines the grandmothers asking, "¿A quién invitó?" It's funny and honest, and it leaves open who she'll finally include.
• Give them their flowers now. Mirna wrote her mom a song and plans to invite her parents to sit at the altar this year. Isis and Mirna talk about the sandwich generation and the hard conversations that come with it. They also talk about celebrating loved ones while they're still here.
• Unscripted on purpose. They're not writing scripts. They're learning in public, hiccups included, and keeping it real and human.

Try this before the holiday: you don't need anything fancy. A few photos, a candle and a glass of water are enough to take a moment and remember where you come from.If this episode made you think of someone, tell us who's on your altar this year. We'd love to hear about it.Common Edges is an unscripted conversation about culture, family and learning as we go. New episodes are planned weekly.

How have power dynamics shifted in the age of Me Too and AI?

In this episode of Common Edges, Isis and Mirna explore the evolution of power, silence, and accountability in today’s world. From the cultural impact of the Me Too movement to the ethical questions surrounding artificial intelligence, this conversation examines how technology is reshaping justice, visibility, and voice.

We unpack:

• The changing perception of power dynamics

• Why victim blaming is being challenged more than ever

• How AI can both empower and exploit

• The role of accountability in a digital era

• Why silence around injustice is no longer acceptable

As access to information grows, so does the demand for transparency and responsibility. Understanding our historical narratives helps us make sense of present-day inequalities — and pushes us toward meaningful change.

Some Takeaways

• "Silence is no longer an option."

• "AI is a double-edged sword."
• "Justice is finally being served."

Valentine’s Day wasn’t something we grew up celebrating—but somehow, it still found us.

In this episode, we talk about what love looked like growing up in Mexican immigrant families, where it was often shown through actions, responsibility, and companionship rather than big romantic gestures. We reflect on first Valentine’s memories, friendships that felt like family, and how the meaning of love has shifted through adulthood, parenting, and time.

A conversation about love beyond romance—and all the places it quietly lives.

Common Edges is a conversation podcast about the things we grew up thinking were normal — and how they keep showing up in adult life.

Hosted by Isis and Mirna, the show explores family, identity, work, relationships, and what it means to live with more than one set of expectations.

No experts. No perfect answers. Just real conversations about living in between.