Again, a morbid thought, but I just saw a
program about mountain people going back to be buried in their family plot. I
guess that continues the history of the family, but like all families we split
and go our own separate ways.
It just seems when we all lived down in the
hollows with brothers and sisters and grandparents close by to gather for
dinners and celebrations of holidays and enjoy in the music and dancing, we
should all be buried close to each other. Then on family gatherings, the
children could be introduced to their forefathers lying under the ground.
There might be names and dates etched in stone
to identify the beloved family member. There may be symbols or a statement
trying to describe the dead. “Best Cook In Four Counties” or “Good Knitter” or
“Walked Miles in the Marathon” could be the statements that tell the tale of
the departed.
If you have ever looked up your family tree,
you can find names and locations and birth records (sometimes) but there is
very little about the hobbies, favorite drinks, best friends, broken hearts,
faith or political persuasion. With only an etched stone the names and the
memories will fade with the generations.
In far away vacant lots, behind the trees and
overgrown with vines there are lost relatives in ancient family plots. Where
will you go when it’s time for you to go?
and the question goes, why do they put a fence around a graveyard?
No comments:
Post a Comment