Cemeteries

Have you ever taken a look at a cemetery? I am not trying to be morbid and say that death is beautiful, I do however, find cemeteries beautiful. I went to the local cemetery recently, and it struck me, how many flowers and head stones there were. Granted, it was sad that so many lives are lost, but I was interested in what the headstones and flowers themselves meant. I was pondering on why people use headstones and flowers. I doubt that the people who are deceased care if someone were to label their grave or adorn them with flowers; so why do it? I came to the realization that it is for outsiders to see that the person that is dead, was loved. For me, when I see flowers I think “oh how precious, someone must have really loved them”. I think that’s the point, the family members of the deceased want the world to know that the person gone was loved and will be missed. I find it beautiful that people care enough about a person’s memory to want others to know that those people are loved, even after their death. In my mind, cemeteries are a place of love. That’s all they could be. Why would someone bury another person and mark their grave unless they truly loved them and wanted to remember the life they had. It makes me happy to know that so many people feel the need to honor those before them. I am going to try and think of cemeteries in this new light instead of seeing the m as the place for horror scenes. I posit that if I fear cemeteries, then I am fearing the memory of someone’s life. I want to respect those that have come before me and respect the place that they were laid to rest. To not fear cemeteries is my new goal, and I encourage others to join in the respect of another’s resting place. The thought of beauty in a cemetery came to me this week after finding out that my great uncle had passed away. When I first heard the news I immediately thought of my grandmother who dearly loved her brother. I called her the next day to see if she was okay and her words are what showed me beauty. She said she was “fine”. She also said she knew where he was, and that he was much happier there.” As my grandma said this, I could hear the sadness in her voice, but I was also amazed that she was still thinking of her brother first and what he wanted which in her eyes, and in mine, is to be with God in Heaven. I still feel for my family my great uncle will be horribly missed by many. He was a truly special person and was dearly loved. I know that, if I ever go to where he is buried, there will be an abundance of flowers to grace his memory.