In Memory of Loves Ones
May 28th, 2007 by jeremy
In Memory of
On this day where we remember loves ones past on, we especially pay tribute to those that gave their lives in defending our liberties. Though this may be a solemn occasion in most cases, I also choose to think of it as a celebration of those loved ones past on before us as well.
I have no graves nearby I can visit to remember my family. My father and his father both chose to be cremated and have their ashes spread over their favorite mountain. I pay tribute to them whenever I can visit that special place in Montana where we fulfilled their wishes. Personally, I would like to do something similar. My mother-in-law said it well; she would like to have a park bench installed and dedicated to her rather than take up space in a cemetery. It is a personal choice though, and no choice is right or wrong.
For those that do choose to be buried, it does provide a place that we can visit and remember fondly those we love. Today I went to the local cemetery near me with the thought of taking photographs of flowers, flags and the military memorial recently installed there. I did take these photos, though I became quickly more interested in seeing those that were not only visiting graves, but taking time to care for them.
The love and care these people were putting into the care of these simple memorials to their loved ones really struck me. The man in this photo was scraping weather build up from around the lettering with a razor blade, and carefully cleaning out each letter in the stone. What a testament to his love and respect for those buried there. I hope we can all have this same feelings for those we owe our lives to, both our ancestors and those that have fought for our freedoms.
I love you dad. I miss you too.
Link to desktop wallpaper sized version.
Canon 20D, 24-105L, 1/500 at f4.0 and 100ISO
Jeremy!! What a lovely tribute!! Thank you for reminding us what this day is all about!!
You made me cry Jeremy, that is a beautiful photo and a beautiful reflection on the very reason we have set this day aside. My heart is full of pride for those who have lost their lives defending our country, as it is every day, but so much more profound today. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. God bless the man in your photo, his dedication and love reach further then he realizes.
Jeremy:
I loved the photo. At my church over the weekend, we sang the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, and the song always reminds me of the “Brothers” or Jimmy because they talked about “American Spirit” & then did an “American Medley” Photos like this make me think of those memories.
Thank you for the reminder. When I was growing up, my father was very involved in the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and we always celebrated Memorial Day with my dad by going to the cemeteries in the area and placing flags on the graves of the fallen soldiers buried there. It was a great tradition for our family and it helped me to realize the importance of the sacrifices people made to make our country free. I try not to ever take that for granted.
This is beautiful Jeremy. I’ve been watching tributes on CNN all day and thought I was cried out. I love my Summer Nights book, but these are even more special. Thank you so much.
I hope you make it back to Montana soon.
Peace to all our loved ones,
Kelly
Thankyou so much for this Jeremy!
Love from,
Lisa LaBrake