I was hesitant to go into this thread, because I was sure it was going to be really weird. Instead, I found all sorts of wisdom.
Yeah, I like to visit cemeteries. I find they're full of stories that capture my imagination. Cemeteries are also full of profound expressions of love that people have for those who have left them. There's a richness in cemeteries that's inexhaustible.
On the other hand, it's not in graveyards that I feel the presence of the dead - but there are other times and places when I strongly feel the presence of certain dead people that I've loved deeply.
My dead grandmother is the one who's with me most often. She was a very positive influence on my early life, and I've always tried to emulate her joyful, positive, loving attitude and her love of life. As I grew older and moved to the other side of the country, I kept in touch with Grandma by phone or letters, but it seemed that she was always there with me when I needed her. She died in 1982, but I feel very strongly that she's still with me.
I think this is something we all experience in one way or another. If our love for a person is strong enough, that person will never leave us, and even death can't part us.
As I said, this is something we all experience, but something we will never be able to explain. If we try to explain or understand or prove or even just talk about this sort of experience, we start sounding really tacky, really quick. Discussion like this can quickly bring out all the quacks and weirdos and fanatics. I'm glad all us normal people can discuss a subject like this with such wisdom. [grin]
Ah, life is good.
-Joe Offer-