I first had to watch Coco in Spanish class in eighth grade. I remember sitting in that classroom, surrounded by my classmates, thinking it would just be another movie we had to watch for school. Instead, every single class period that we watched it, I cried.
At the time, I could not fully explain why a children’s movie about a boy who loves music affected me so deeply. Now, years later, I understand. It was “Remember Me.”
The song itself is simple, but comforting. It is about remembering someone even when they are far away, and it carries a message that feels almost impossible to ignore when you have experienced loss. In Coco, “Remember Me” changes meaning throughout the movie. What begins as a song associated with fame and performance eventually becomes something much more personal: a way of holding onto someone you love.
That was what made me cry.
When I watched Coco for the first time, I thought about my grandparents who had passed away. I thought about the memories I had with them, the little things I never wanted to forget and the moments I wished I could experience one more time. The movie gave me a way to think about grief that I had never really considered before. Losing someone does not mean losing every part of them. In some ways, remembering them is its own form of keeping them with you.
“Remember Me” made that feeling impossible to ignore.
There is something especially meaningful about experiencing Coco during Hispanic Heritage Month. The movie celebrates Mexican culture through music, family, traditions and Día de los Muertos, but what stood out to me most was its understanding of family. It showed me that remembering those who came before us can be an important part of understanding who we are now.
Día de los Muertos is not simply about mourning the people we have lost. It is also about celebrating their lives and keeping their memories present, even if they aren’t physically by your side. That idea has stayed with me. Grief can sometimes feel like something we are supposed to move past, as if eventually we should stop being sad. But Coco reminded me that missing someone is not something that needs to be “fixed.” Sometimes, it is simply proof of how much that person meant to you.
Years after watching the movie for the first time, I still have the same reaction when I hear “Remember Me.” The song brings back the sadness I felt in that eighth-grade classroom, but it also brings back the memories of my grandparents. It reminds me of the people who shaped my life and the importance of carrying their stories forward.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, I think about how lucky I am to be shown a culture that places such a strong emphasis on family, memory and honoring those who came before us. Coco taught me that remembering someone is more than looking back. It is a way of keeping their love alive.
So maybe that is why I cried every time we watched that movie.
I was not just crying because Coco was sad. I was crying because, for a few minutes, “Remember Me” made me feel close to people I could no longer hug, talk to or see.
And maybe that is the most beautiful thing about remembering someone: even when they are gone, the love remains.