When I was about 10, I would ride my bike to the local cemetery & wander around by myself, reading the inscriptions on the markers. (I can't imagine any child being allowed to bicycle off by themselves today, let alone to a cemetery, but I digress...) My best friend had a baby sister buried there, and I would often stand beside her grave and wonder what she would have been like. (Her mother was one of the first people to call me when we lost Katie.)
When dh & I were first married, our apartment backed onto Mount Pleasant, a huge cemetery in midtown Toronto. We would take long walks on its winding paths, marvelling over the elaborate crypts -- some of them as big as houses -- where some of Canada's leading families rest (the Masseys, the Eatons, the Westons...).
Being interested in genealogy, I'm always up for a cemetery ramble, particularly when an ancestor is involved.
And since Katie's stillbirth, there has rarely been a week where we haven't paid at least a brief visit to the cemetery where her ashes are interred.
Some of the best places I know to enjoy the fall colours at their prettiest are cemeteries -- especially the older ones with big old trees. Case in point: here's a picture from a ramble dh & I took yesterday through an older local cemetery (not the one where Katie is). Nice, huh?
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| That's dh on the left. :) |
You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.
That cemetery is gorgeous! My DH loves cemeteries too, as does one of my sisters. They are both into genealogy like you. This past summer we went to the cemetery where The Night of the Living Dead (old horror movie) was filmed and it was a really neat, both the cemetery and knowing that part of a movie was filmed there.
ReplyDeleteI've always love cemeteries too. I love the names, the inscriptions, and the quiet. I have wandered through many cemeteries and just enjoyed the peace.
ReplyDeleteI also love cemeteries and often vsit them. A lot of trips have photographs from cemeteries. And yet, I don't want to be buried in one. Is that odd? To like cemeteries and yet never want to be buried?
ReplyDeleteLike is probably the wrong word. I respect cemeteries. I feel that they are a space that demands attention.
When I lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I lived near the county cemetery, which is a historic landmark. It was a great place for a run when living in the city. There were many old trees and winding paths. It was a quiet, peaceful place. Many people visited and used the space to walk, ride a bike or run. The cemetery almost felt alive with just enough people to make it a welcome space, but few enough that it felt quiet an intimate. Beautiful photo.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about cemeteries! Love the peace and beauty you find in these places.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing photo! Fall is here (at least in your part of the world)!
Beautiful. I love cemeteries too - there's always at least one grave that makes me think "I wonder what they were like?" And even when loved ones are there - I still like them.
ReplyDeleteThat's beautiful. When I was a kid, I loved wandering around old cemeteries. Like Mel, I've never cared to be buried in one either though I always loved the idea of visiting a loved one there.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colors!
ReplyDeleteWe have a cemetery right behind our house - well, it's actually 2 cemeteries. There's the really old part, where you can no longer read the tombstones, which we can see from our deck, and the newer part which, while not really in use for new burials, still gets visitors. Most of my friends would get freaked out by this proximity, but I think the dead make the best neighbors.
Absolutely gorgeous view! Back in Indo I never went to any cemetery because it was far away and when anyone went there, the locals would ask for money. Ugh. Not nice.
ReplyDeleteHere in Finland I've started getting more used to the practice of visiting cemeteries and I also love looking at the different headstones and flowers/candles in front of them. It's also a nice place to have some quiet time, because the people who visit the place aren't usually on a chit-chatty mood. :-)