(c) 6/10/12; Kathy Fannon (South Sidney Cemetery)
Life Among Death
Yesterday afternoon my husband and I took a ride to South Sidney Cemetery, north of Greenville. I have family members who are buried there; great-great grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and one day my parents will be there.
Each time I visit those heroes I stand in awe of them. These were people who left their families in Denmark, never to see them again, in search of a better life in America. By today's standards, life was still hard so I don't know if they felt it was worth it or not, but I certainly do, as one who appreciates their sacrifice for a better life for me, an offspring many of them didn't even know would exist.
It was a beautiful sunny day to walk over the 10-acre plot of land. We took our time to stop and read headstones and were moved by how many babies and children were buried. Some just days old, some a few years, some must have been still-born. (I have an uncle who is buried there at almost 4-years of age because the doctor couldn't make it to the house due to a winter storm.)
Also moving was how many were first-generation immigrants; so many were born in the mid-1800s and died in the early 1900s.
I looked up and was moved by the conglomeration of headstones shining in the sun. I couldn't help but think of the stories behind each life that was lived, the heartaches of those dead children, working in a hot kitchen in July, farming the land, fighting off skunks, chopping trees for firewood and making friends with Indians, picnics, celebrations, tragedies...all the things that make up the days of a life.
A small snippet of the 10-acres
Then I saw a row of flowering bushes along the back of the property. They smelled so good and were loaded with these pretty white flowers. I moved in close to take this picture and didn't even notice the bee until after I took it. My husband said...
Life Among Death
I began to think about how we see things around us.
Does it seem like there's death everywhere you look? Dead dreams? Dead finances? Dead relationships?
Do you feel like you've sacrificed for no reason? You've given up desires in hope of something better, but it seems pointless?
Look around. Way at the back you may see a flowering bush. You might not notice it right away, but it's there.
Your dreams aren't dead. Your sacrifice isn't for nothing. Maybe the sacrifice you made isn't for you, but for generations to come, people you won't even know exist.
Press on. Work hard. Keep giving. Keep sacrificing. Keep dreaming. It's not over because there are still flowers blooming!
Do you see the death? Or do you see the budding life? Focus on the budding life!
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