Wednesday, June 10, 2009

peace at her resting place

I went to Keely's grave this morning and the rain stopped pouring just as we arrived. I love the way the headstone looks when it's wet. It's an emerald colored granite and the colors really shine after the rain, which seems appropriate. Her garland got chopped a bit by the caretaker but not too badly. We'll replace it this weekend, when we're able to come back. I'll take a broken garland here and there if it means the grass is being cut and trimmed. We went through a hell of a fight trying to get the caretaker to actually take care of the place. The people caring for the whole place (600+ stones) are doing a phenomenal job and it brings me such peace to go to her resting place and find comfort, not having to worry about the weeds. It's amazing the difference it makes on a bereaved parent's psyche. Today was a particularly peaceful day. You never hear much when you're there, maybe the occasional train whistle but there are no people around, no bustle. I love that about it. Today, though, birds were singing in full chorus and it was a dark morning, still very damp from a hard rain that fell. I could've stayed there for hours but a few minutes of that peace would have to be enough; my living children were ready to move on after they blew Keely kisses and Boston told her about the latest Spongebob show he watched.

"there will be peace in the valley for me someday" hymn

2 comments:

  1. I love Caitlin's stone after a rain as well. It brings out the pink in the stone. I'm glad you find your visits comforting. Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad you had a peaceful visit. A good caretaker makes a great deal of difference. Before they sodded Henry's grave, we made a heart and spelled out his name in little stones. The caretaker took pictures of it and sent them to us before he covered it over . . . and he told us he put the first layer of dirt in carefully so that it wouldn't get disturbed. I wish he were still there, but he got forced out. Now the flowers at Henry's grave always get cut down or taken away. But I know underneath there is a heart of stone marking my baby boy's place.

    ReplyDelete