Tuesday, 14 July, 2026

Tuesday, 14 July, 2026

Walking through a well-maintained cemetery is a unique experience. Observing the headstones and monuments of those who have gone before us not only grounds us but also stirs a feeling of serenity that stirs contemplation.

For the preliminary exams for my doctoral work, I was to collect the rubbings from the headstones from three New England cemeteries. My topic was symbols and rituals of death from four different cultures. India, China, Mexico and New England.

I didn’t find these resting places of long-gone ancestors morbid or depressing. On the contrary, walking through these was calming and tranquil. After making drawings and collecting rubbings, I was inspired to take longer walks on the pathways that webbed the greenery. The moment we’re born, we begin our journey toward death. Each human life’s path might be vastly different, but it ends the same way. 

Whenever you get a chance, walk peacefully through a cemetery and observe the resting places of those who have passed on. Contemplate your own death – not in a morbid way but to mull over how you can make your life even better than it already is. There is something about such a contemplative walk that gives courage to face your own mortality. You feel heightened appreciation for each new day, and a deeper connection with your loved ones… and even strangers who lived once but have now left this world. With such an attitude, you live more fully and make stronger connection with your deeper Self.