I used to spend a lot of time in old cemeteries when I was a kid (in the days before the word “emo” existed, I was just considered a weirdo) But I liked doing grave rubbings and photographing old statuary headstones. I found the carvings beautiful, but I also because I’d had experience with sadness. Being the youngest kid of parents who were both the youngest kids of their own large extended families, I began attending funerals at an early age. (around 6 years old I think) Plus one of my father and mother’s friends were the town mortician and his wife… and they had two children; one my age and one my sister’s age, so we spent a lot of time in a funeral home. I actually figured out one day I had attended about 14 funerals before I was 20 years old. Eventually i stopped counting and I lost track. So the combination of the artistry apparent in the old cemeteries coupled with my life experiences made graveyards a very familiar and comfortable place. There was even a graveyard that I passed every day on my walk home from school. I used to hang out there and read or daydream. I liked being in that peaceful place (free of judgemental adults who made comments about my shy, bookish, effeminate personality, and also completely devoid of school bullies) I felt calm surrounded by beautiful sculptures dedicated to people who were loved and missed. I haven’t really hung out in a cemetery since college, but on Friday I happened to be near an old cemetery, and I felt compelled to revisit my old pastime. It still felt the same. Peaceful and now in my middle age.. reflective. This time of year always makes me a little sad remembering those whom I’ve lost the previous year.. (and every year there are more) So this post is a reminder of a few things. Beauty is everywhere if you remember not to just look, but to see it. And although it’s important to remember those we’ve lost, don’t forget to remember your loved ones who are still living and spend as much time with them as possible, and remember to tell them how much you love them as much as possible. (at Fairlight Cemetary) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmTW3aggyhB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=