I Will Not Forget -- Memorial Day 2010

On thy grave the rain shall fall from the eyes of a mighty nation! ~ Thomas William Parsons

Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored. ~ Daniel Webster

With the tears a Land hath shed, Their graves should ever be green. ~ Thomas Bailey Aldrich

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save. ~ Francis Marion Crawford

Perform, then, this one act of remembrance before this Day passes - Remember there is an army of defense and advance that never dies and never surrenders, but is increasingly recruited from the eternal sources of the American spirit and from the generations of American youth. ~ W.J. Cameron

Comments

Jenny said…

Breathtaking! The graves of veterans and fallen heroes always fill me with gratitude and awe.

May 31, 2010 at 6:19 PM

Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks

Why do people put rocks on grave stones? Some time ago, I learned that the rocks signified a visitor. That is true enough, but I decided to learn a little more about the custom and share my findings with you. Putting rocks on tombstones is most often described as a Jewish custom. There are many "Ask a Rabbi" columns out there, but I did not find one that knew for sure where the custom originated. They all agreed, however, that a rock symbolized a visitor and when put on a tombstone said, "I remember you." I also read that some people pick up a rock wherever they are when they think of a person that has passed. Then, the next time they visit the grave, they place the rock to say, "I wish you were here." Rabbi Shraga Simmons offers a deeper meaning: "We are taught that it is an act of ultimate kindness and respect to bury someone and place a marker at the site. After a person is buried, of course, we can no longer participate in burying them. H...

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Southern Graves

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