On a recent visit to Granby, Quebec, we visited the cemetary where my grandparents on my father’s side are buried. I have an awkward relationship with cemetaries. On one hand, I fell very uncomfortable and very self-aware of doing things like walking over top where dead bodies lay or laughing and talking. I’m not a huge fan of the mythology of religion but there are things beaten into us through media and our upbringing that make us wary of the dead.
On the other hand, cemetaries are thought-prevoking historical records and, quite frankly, they can be quite beautiful. On more than one occasion, I’ve almost missed a ceremony because my curiosity has me touring around the back corners of a cemetary. It becomes a game to find the oldest member of this inclusive club where you have permanent membership.
Along the way, each stone tells a story. Some of marriages that lasted for over a half century with husband and wife living to a ripe old age together. Others tell the tale of heartache with children dying at a young age or a spouse dying long before their significant other. Some stones are so old and neglected that it is unclear who might lie below. That person could have lived a life of great adventure or could have gone to the grave with an untold secret – the world will never know.
And then, some gravestones are just cool. The one above had such a great design that I had to capture it. By the way, because of some unknown reason, I feel weird about taking photos in a graveyard. This person, you can zoom in on the image for the name, was born on June 21, 1848 and died at the age of 24 on October 6, 1872. The assumption is, because of the age, this person died under tragic circumstances.
What was odd about the cemetary was the great number of people who lived 80 or more years. Considering that many were from the 1800’s and first half of the 20th century, this would have been well past the normal life expectancy.
The video below is of Granby, Quebec taken on the same visit. Check it out and be sure to give it a thumb’s up!
Pic Of The Day 