A trip to the cemetary.

Now this is about the living...

This little tradition if you want to call it that started from when I was a teen. You see I would go to the cemetery sometimes on my own to visit a close friend that passed away too early for her time, the relationship between us and how she ended up "underground" is a different discussion altogether. So anyway sometimes I would be with family to see dead relative's there as well. My father had a strange tradition at the cemetery. You see next to his mother's tombstone was another grave that had always been there for as long as both of us can remember.

Now this grave was nearly as old as the cemetery and it wasn't maintained at all, so because he'd been going to the same cemetery for nearly most of his life to visit his mother he would always, and I mean always would go to this poor man's abandoned grave put some flowers clean it up and at least spend a minute there paying respect's. Why? this man's family never came to visit it, so for year's we've been tending to the grave. Whether or not he had family we don't know because for the year's we've been there not one other person has left a sign that they were there no flower's nothing at all.

So as the year's slowly dragged on the cemetery got bigger.
Anyway one day there was a fresh new grave near where we'd been going for year's. This was probably one of the saddest thing's you could ever see at a graveyard. It was the new grave of only a three year old child... I was used to seeing children's grave's in this cemetery but the parent's were there that day. So I went to talk to them, they were lovely people but it was just so sad to see their three year old son dead. Just so sad... they'd even left the child's toy's on the grave.

I don't know what else I can say about that other than we'd had a long conversation with their family. Soon after that we left and came back about three month's later to the shock that this young deceased boys toy's were taken. Presumably stolen by grave robber's since practically anything and everything worth something in that section of the cemetery was taken. Even those thing's where you put the flower's in were gone. We couldn't really do anything about it. Although if I had a chance to meet the people that stole from all these graves, they'd find themselves in one. To me it's just low the equivalent of stealing candy from a baby. So we replaced a few thing's for those three previously mentioned grave's. I think we even donated a few of me and my brothers old toy's to that family to put on the grave.
We see the family from time to time and have small conversation's when we see them.

Well I've gotta get going now, something stupid's happening outside by the sound of it.

reply to post by blueyezblkdragon


Great story, thanks for sharing that. I can't imagine how it must feel to lose a child so early. As a father of four I would just break. And to sink so low as to vandalize the poor boy's final resting spot? For shame. Well they say karma is a bitch, lets hope that's true for the sake of those puny souls willing to steal from the dead.

Kallisti

Very sad to see that childs grave I'm sure. I think it is wonderful that you and your Dad care for the abandoned grave nearby. So often, you'll find the really old gravestones sinking into the ground and can barely read them anymore. It's sad. They are gone and their families have long been gone from this earth. Some are almost flat to the ground and will soon be covered by dirt and grass and no one will even know they were ever there.

Cemeteries often remove objects left at graves. Even old flowers. I don't know if the grave was robbed or if the cemetery caretakers cleared the items away. Where my father is buried, the cemetery does it about twice a month. Otherwise, the cemetery starts looking run down.

FlyersFan
Cemeteries often remove objects left at graves. Even old flowers. I don't know if the grave was robbed or if the cemetery caretakers cleared the items away. Where my father is buried, the cemetery does it about twice a month. Otherwise, the cemetery starts looking run down.

I was thinking the same thing. The cemeteries here remove items from the graves regularly. It is done more often in the summer when mowing season is in full swing and some cemeteries do not allow it all but will let it stand for a few days trying to be respectful.

reply to post by FlyersFan


No they tend to give out warnings before they clear it out. The reason we thought it was a robbery was because it looked like they missed a few grave's, there was new graffiti on some of the crypt's that were nearby, etc.

reply to post by Night Star


That's what's been happening with that abandoned grave. It's become a bit of a hazard. We do what we can to clean it but if we misplace one step on that grave, we'll be seeing the owner of that one particular grave.

reply to post by blueyezblkdragon


Before jumping to conclusions why not speak to the caretakers? I find it odd that they let everyone know if they'll be removing items... Do you get a phone call or a postcard? The cemetery most of my loved ones are in has a set schedule which is posted at the entrance and also given to families when planning a funeral. It's a lot of extra work for them to do bc people leave a lot of random stuff. In our cemetery they have even stopped allowing traditional headstones. All have to be the flat kind now so they can mow the grass without having to use the weedeater around each marker.

I'm not saying that the stuff was or wasn't stolen but it seems kind of ridiculous... If there is graffiti then it sounds like the groundskeepers are slacking off on their jobs. Again, I have no idea what is going on but it just sounds off.

Talk to the people who run the place. They should be able to shine the light on this mystery.

There is such solitude and peace in graveyards away from the hustle and bustle of people and cars and every day life as we know it. I always have mixed emotions when I am there, like deep respect for those who have lived before and gone on to a new journey, sadness for the loss the families must have felt, and knowing that in time I too shall pass from this realm as we all will. Life here on this earth is but a temporary road that we travel.

reply to post by SilverStarGazer


I plan to call them up and see If they did clean up the grave's but I haven't been back there for quite a while. I'll have to check with my father whether he received notification of this. Another thing to add is this happened a while back.

So anyway I'll look into it and see what happened.