Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Post Mortem

One of the places I visited on my last travel was Highgate Cemetery. When I was there, I couldn't help thinking of all the texts or quotes written on the stones. I haven't noticed any additional texts on the gravestones here in this village, though I haven't really looked, either. Yet walking around Highgate Cemetery, which was filled with so many texts or quotes, made me think of how people choose them for their loved ones. Those texts range from "beloved by all" or "in loving memory" or "finally together again" or "he/she was much loved" or "at peace with God". My hopeless-romantic part love those different texts. :-)

My logic, though, is a different matter. I've given up any thought of how I'd like my body to be dealt with when I'm gone because it depends on who will be left behind and that person(s) left behind may not be anyone close to me because half of my family lives in Indo. That said, though, this tablet managed to reduce me to near tears as I was leaving the cemetery through the gift shop:


Anyway, here are some lovely quotes by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (many more in the link below):

“We run after values that, at death, become zero. At the end of your life, nobody asks you how many degrees you have, or how many mansions you built, or how many Rolls Royces you could afford. That’s what dying patients teach you.”


“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

6 comments:

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    1. Yeah, and I'm glad I saw it because I almost missed it. :-)

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  2. I'm not ready to even think about this! But beautiful quotes. Hopefully a nephew of niece will think of me. Especially if I pre-pay everything :)

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    1. Understand why you're not ready to think about it, but I hope they will remember you, too. :-)

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  3. You're right - that is such a beautiful epitaph - to both men. I've always liked cemeteries - wandering through them, reading the gravestones, thinking about those people. I'd like to think someone would see mine one day - but then practicality means I'd probably not go for burial either.

    It reminds me of something funny. My MIL always vowed and declared that she wanted to be buried in the city where she grew up (she hasn't lived there for about 60 years) with her mother and sister. Mainly I think she wanted to avoid being buried near her mother-in-law. In recent years she finally caved to the idea of being buried with her husband. It's funny, but when I think of where I might end up, I cringe to think I'll end up being buried with her, my mother-in-law!

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    1. Oh, that's quite a story. I think because nobody in my family who's gone before me has had a burial (grandparents and my dad were cremated and their ashes scattered in the sea), I have less attachment to where I'd like my body to be dealt with? It is a lovely thought to be buried near your own family, though. I've seen a lot of family grave as well in Highgate and couldn't help wondering about their lives.

      Well, Mali, as you said maybe you'll not go for burial, so maybe you won't end up being buried with your MIL. :-) I think if nobody's going to visit my grave, then there's no use of having me buried, though in this small village unfortunately there's no place that can do cremation, so maybe it's still more practical here to bury people, but I think I'm more used to the idea of being cremated than being buried.

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