I’ve visited a couple of local cemeteries recently, because my siblings and I need to choose a memorial marker for our mother. Some people stay as far from graveyards as possible, but I find them restful, at least in broad daylight. The dates and names give wings to my imagination.
Just as the people buried in the churchyard are more than granite engravings, our fictional characters need to be more than life-size cardboard cutouts. The years that lie between birth and death dates are mysteries, untold stories of real people.
One stone marks the life of a wife/mother who died at the age of 22. Why? An accident or illness? What happened to the child? I feel the grief and lay my hand on the stone as I pass.
A large, flat engraving includes details of birthplace, emigration, moves, farm locations, spouse, children. Few are this informative, but it tells the story of an eventful life, well-lived. These details considered important enough to be carved in stone.
Several small graves lie in the shade of the poplars, babies that died at birth or in their early childhood. Stories of unexpected loss and grief.
Ideas come from everywhere, and a cemetery is a tremendous resource. It can also remind us of the fragility of life, the brevity of the time we have to make our mark between two dates.
If you’re looking for writing ideas, inspiration, or perhaps a quiet and meditative walk, visit a cemetery, and remember that:
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants” Psalm 116:15 NIV.
I was struck by the names common to certain years and wrote them down with the dates. I still have those notes somewhere. I thought it might come in handy for an historical fiction sometime. You are right about cemeteries holding thought provoking human stories. They are so interesting.
Yeah, there are websites devoted to names by decade. Very interesting. Of course, there are always exceptions, but some names seem to span time.
This was a thoughtful piece, Jan. I, too, find cemeteries peaceful and filled volumes of stories.
There’s so much history there, and scope for the imagination!
Touching comments in your blog, Janice. Thanks. Visiting a grave isn’t a daily occurrence, but I too recall specific occasions where I’ve visited cemeteries in the Maritimes, back in Norquay, SK, where my grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles are buried, beside a small country church where my parents rest in peace. My husband and I, for many years, tended the graveyards where his family are buried. Gravesides have a way of giving information, stirring the imagination or the heart. I haven’t written much fiction, but cemeteries are a wonderful source for NF writers too.
Yes, no matter what genre we write, cemeteries are full of information. Thanks for reading and commenting, Sharon.