by Greg Lincoln
Part of losing someone that you love is having to lay them to rest. These days we have community cemeteries where our loved ones are placed, where they will return to the earth to rest undisturbed for the remainder of time until our Lord’s coming.
This is part of the continuum of grieving.
Do you ever wonder what to do when you visit your loved ones at their resting place? It is up to you since each one of us has our own ways. It can be sad because you yearn for their physical presence and their company, but it can also be a time to reflect, to pray for strength and comfort in your grief, and to show that you still love and miss them and to let them know that their memory will never cease to exist as long as you are still here.
Each day is an anniversary of someone’s passing. Just like each day it is someone’s birthday, or wedding anniversary.
Visitors can bring flowers or other gifts such as decorations and memorabilia that reflect upon the personality of the loved one. It is respectful to clean the area of any debris that may have blown in with the wind.
We like to talk to our dear one during our visits, as we have always done. Why do we do that? For one, we know that God hears us and can bring messages of our love, if we ask Him. I don’t think it hurts to ask. In fact, we can ask anything and everything as much as we want to or can.
Feelings and emotions can resurface at this time, and that is okay. It is also not unheard of to walk around and to visit the other memorials while you think thoughts that you can only think in a place like that.
If others are around, it is nice to say hello, how are you. There is not one of us who is exempt from this condition, we are all in this together. And if you smoke, please do not do it here in respect of others who are grieving.
We have a dear friend who has shown us great kindness by taking care of our beloved’s resting place. With the passage of time and the seasons with their elements, flowers can become faded or fallen, dust can build up and everything can take on a faded old kind of look. Thank you for remodeling and refreshing our space. Your loving hands have fixed everything and made everything look so beautiful and loved. Whatever you touch is like gold. We thank you with all our heart.
