Shot of the Day - # 47 - Spring Time in a Cemetery

Mourning Glory

Elm Grove Cemetery, Mystic, CT (4 May 2013)

OK. You know I have this thing for burial grounds...primarily because certain residents have made a mark on our history...and as I said when I described the effect of being in front of Beethoven’s grave, this is as close as anyone will ever get to this important figure. At least that is how I feel about it.

BUT...

Cemeteries are often beautiful properties. Apart from the graves, the land is often filled with magnificent trees, blooming bushes and manicured grass and gorgeous architectural and artistic features.

Is it incongruous? A concentration of death, the dearly departed, sad representations of mourning and loss...and all this blooming? This time of year, it’s about LIFE...re-birth...color...the emergence of the forces of nature.

Cemeteries evoke sadness and loss. The emptiness and longing that follows the departure of a loved one. Here is a mother comforting a child too young to understand that nobody gets out alive.

Meanwhile, Nature says, “Sorry for your loss but it’s springtime! The sap is flowing again. The creatures are stirring. Growth and reproduction must commence. “