Sundays in the park with George...

Or Sundays in the cemetery with Mom. One is an example of pointellism (sp?) and one is an example of "what's the point?" Okay, I spent the afternoon after church traipsing around two cemeteries in two different towns trying to find dead relatives. My Mom couldn't quite remember where the graves were (and I hadn't visited them in over 20 years so I was useless) except she knew that they were by a big tree. Well, both cemeteries were filled with big trees all around, so that certainly didn't narrow down the locations. Eventually we found almost all the graves and decorated them with new floral arrangements. I wonder what the spirits of those who have passed on think when they see those left behind wandering around a field of graves, sticking artificial flowers into the ground or into metal vases. I guess for some who are left behind there is a sense of connection in doing this. For others there may be some guilt--see yesterday's blog to get the scoop on this. For a few, it is done to honor the memory of a friend or family member. It just seems a little weird. If we really want to honor someone's memory, shouldn't we be doing something positive in the world to make it a better place? Wouldn't that be better than plunking down money for flowers that will fade or scatter in the wind. I always liked the graveyard scene from the play, "Our Town"--it was full of wisdom about how the living behave when relating to the dead and how they lack perspective. Next year I think I'd like to donate the money I would spend on this cemeterial ritual to a good cause that allows the dead to honor the living.