Cavorting in Graveyards

I just got back from walking the dogs (or being walked by them) in the old, local graveyard. I started walking in the newer graveyard after my gram died and it's become a routine to take the dogs there almost every day for their walks. After the gravediggers got a bit too friendly, I gravitated more to the older graveyard. There's not as much action there and the grave stones are more interesting. It's an old pioneer graveyard housing the town's founding fathers, both the famous and the infamous. Since I'm doing research for a children's book about a local pit miner it's fun to actually see the graves of the people I'm reading about.

The dogs love the graveyard and can't wait to get out of the car. We all run and cavort in the quiet. Today as we were sprinting over several turn-of-the-century graves it struck me that I sure was not being very reverent. I was definitely into an "animal" mentality of living in the moment. We roamed the far reaches of the lawns avoiding the maintenance guy because I had Sophie off leash (If he caught us I imagined telling him the sign said "Keep pets on leash"and Sophie is not a pet...she's just a homely little girl) Anyway, we were having fun in the 93 degree heat...in a grave yard. Most people would think that's kind of weird.

I've thought a lot about the possible "weirdness" of hanging out in graveyards since it seems to be one of my sole outings during this busy season in my life. I think it's been a good experience. At first, it was a way of staying close to my gram and walking the dogs in a safe place. Then it evolved into a way to become comfortable with the reality of death. I've hit that big milestone, middle age, when some people realize they've wasted a lot of life and start examining how they will live the remainder of that precious gift. On top of growing up through an interesting mid-life crisis, I renewed my belief in God. That has also led me to an examination of what death is from a spiritual and biblical perspective. I find I'm not afraid to die. Death is not a tragedy or an ending. I figure I'll live as long as God can use me and then I'll move on to better work. That's a good thing. Why worry about death? By God's grace I have come to believe he values and cares for me as his child and will continue to take care of me when my body finally wears out. My hope is I use this time on earth to do what God created me to do by staying open to his guidance and living what he teaches me.

Hey! Maybe graveyards are not places of sorrow. Maybe they are places of celebration. Maybe it's OK to cavort among the graves.