VISITING THE DEAD

This weekend was filled by the presence of TLW’s (The Little Woman) family, who were present for a high school reunion for a high school that no longer exists. In the course of their visit, one family, who rarely comes out to this neck of the woods because they are so busy in their lives, with a large family and difficult career commitments decided to visit the cemetery. They visited their parent’s gravesite, and my son’s.

I often wonder why people would go to the trouble to visit a grave. The person in it is dead, doesn’t know of the visit and is forever gone. What is really happening? I started to ask myself that question, and realized something awful! When I say awful, I mean in the sense that I was awed by a realization. We re-visit ourselves! It is the last place we had any contact or inter-action with them, either dead or alive, or where we would find them finally. As we stand there, we begin to remember, and sometimes we begin in our minds to speak to them. We ask questions and we thank them. It is the most intimate we ever were, and we sometimes pray for them. Some of us may have issues that are unresolved with the deceased.

But we always see ourselves in a one-sided conversation, with the person we remember. How we feel still, or how we felt then.

I was glad to ‘speak ‘ to my dad when we went. Since Dad is a few rows over from TLW’s Mom and Dad, it was easy. Then we walked to my son’s grave, and I ‘spoke’ to him. But, I was mostly happy that someone who was from another state, who was spending so much time having a fun time, took the time out for a special visit and remembrance. It speaks volumes for the living that we don’t forget, and do respect those that went on before us, especially our parents.

Please remember my brother-in-law John, and all those that could use our prayers.