Tombstone Tidbits

A year ago last week we buried my mother. She was 95 and 353/354 years old. The reason I bring this up a year later is that last weekend I finally got around to doing something about her tombstone. They don't call them tombstones - they are monuments. She 'd had a small, bare bones "just the facts, Ma'am" stone put on the grave when my dad died and we, my sister and brother and I, wanted a nicer one. As a person who loves to root around the past and do genealogy, I wanted it to include the full dates of birth, death, and marriage. We also wanted it to include a sentiment that would tell other cemetery visitors a little bit about them. It has taken a year for this to happen. We pondered, read, and searched cemeteries for ideas. Quotes from W.C. Bryant's Thanatopsis (too wordy) and Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas (inappropriate for a 95 year old woman who is eager to see the rest of her family and friends on the other side) were up for consideration. What does one put on a monument? How do you sum up a life in a few words that will last for ages. We decided on Loving Parents of Elizabeth, Robert, and Helen-
Ordering the monument was another experience. After discussing various possibilites and tying down the loose ends. The stone cutter and I had a discussion about taxes (why they are so high), our health care system and why we don't want socialized medicine, and why capitalism works better than socialism in a democracy. Not your usual "Pay me half now and the rest due upon delivery. Thank you very much." I also found the answers to some burning questions- like What's the most important thing to remember in raising children? Trust them and they won't disappoint you. What should I do after I retire? Begin your second career and make it something you like. You can always watch the History channel in the evening and there's nothing good on daytime TV anyway. -and- What's the greatest gift of life? Grandchildren. So I got more than a monument for Mom and Dad. I think Loving Parents of Elizabeth, Robert, and Helen sums it all up. I'm thinking about my second career. Can't do much about the grandchildren- just look forward to the happy times ahead.
Hey, by the way, be sure to check back with me next year- maybe by then I'll have deleted Mom's number from my cell phone.