Jogging through the cemetery for the fourth time...

I've been running every other day or so for about 25-30 minutes, a slow, thoughtful jog down my street to a cemetery about 4 blocks away. Once I'm there I'll loop through the pathways and extend the jog as long as I feel like.

The cemetery is probably a strange place to run; a paradoxical experience to do something that is lively among the dead. What drew me to the place was the romance and history - old fashioned iron-wrought gates and a stone wall that borders the busy street. My first experience running through the memorial park was before the gates closed at 5 o'clock, when cars could still drive through. Then I discovered a couple of dirt pathways, worn over the years, that circumvent the gate, and realized I could go anytime.

The gravestones in the park date from the late 1800's to very recently; today I saw a grave yet to be covered with sod, which must mean that a recent burial took place here. There is a small number of folks who share the cemetery enjoyment experience with me - most with small dogs that can walk (illegally) without a leash. Occasionally there is the random man or woman on a walk, but mostly it is just me and maybe one other person. What keeps me coming back are the details - trees whose noodly branches reach toward the sky and create an archway of shade above the paths, the gravestones with a small picture (usually in color!) of the deceased, wilting lilies and roses laid carefully next to graves. Even the sprinklers have charm, making mini rainbows in the sheaths of sun. It is strange but comforting to think that even in a cemetery, there is life, a lot of it, and it feels like a celebration - lots of souls still loved even though they've been gone years and years.

Today I ran past two young women, probably in their early 30's, having a picnic at one of the gravesites. Adorned with sunglasses and smiles, they had laid out a blanket and were having a cheery conversation as if they were at a neighborhood cafe among friends. This struck me as completely beautiful, seeing people living life yet remembering the past, even though it is sometimes hard. I struggle with this a lot, and if you've read my previous entry about transience, you'll know what I mean. Anyway, I thought it was fantastic and wanted to share it with my readers. Hope everyone's having a lovely weekend.