Memorial Day 2007

Diane and I loaded up the kids and went to the graveyard on Memorial Day this year. We don't usually make them go, but my mom and dad were in town this year and I wanted my kids to hear some history of some of the family who've gone on ahead - and I wanted them to hear it from their grandparents.

Part of my reasoning behind this is because I know a day is coming when my kids will visit that graveyard to visit the graves of their grandparents and probably my own and their mother. I wanted to create a memory for them for when that day comes.

Another reason I wanted to take the kids along was because of this particular gravestone. Notice it says that buried below it is the limb of this lady. My mom and dad remember the lady, but could not remember if the limb was an arm or a leg. I thought that was funny.

Notice in the next picture that the lady died just five years later. While standing over her gravestone we discussed whether or not she ever visited the gravesite of her missing limb. Someone pointed out that they might have buried the limb because of the idea that to be resurrected one had to have all their parts available. Interesting thought, especially in light of cremation and the practice of spreading ashes today.

One other interesting thing about this graveyard visit is that all of the people who are buried there are buried facing east (head to the west/feet to the east) so that when resurrection happens they'll rise facing the Lord.

This last pic is of me, the boys and my dad standing by my grandparent's grave. It's my desire to buried close to my grandparents. That's weird to think about. It's even stranger to stand by the place where you intend to be buried and to think to yourself, "I'm going to buried here someday." Then you kind of get into the dying part and that's even weirder so you don't think about that much. At least I don't. It does make me consider the reality of heaven and hell and God and angels and all that I believe though. For me if all that stuff (and resurrection) isn't real then life is pretty hopeless. I think a guy named Paul said something like that once.

Anyway, it was a good visit and a good experience. I hope my kids will remember this day as a good day in their lives.

I know it was in mine.