I visited my little brother in Atlanta this weekend--I'm so happy to have him (relatively) nearby! He planned a really fun day for us, and one of the things we did was spend a few hours at the Oakland Cemetery. This place is truly magical, and it was so moving to walk among the gorgeous gardens and very old graves. Cemeteries can sometimes be spooky, but this one wasn't in the slightest. On the contrary, the beauty of the scenery seemed to be a celebration of life and hope.
Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind, is buried here, so we paid a visit to her gravesite. The cemetery is also filled with the graves of Confederate soldiers. I grew up in Upstate New York, an area that supplied the Northern Army with many soldiers and many lives, and I've always been proud of the men who sacrificed so much to save our nation. But in visiting these Confederate graves, I was reminded that the Southern soldiers were honorable, and brave, and selfless too. They were fighting for home too (though we wish their loyalty had been to their country above their state) and I felt sadness wash over me as I stood looking out at their tombstones.
Here are some photos of our visit. The first three are my brother, Noah's, and the last four are my iPhone shots. I hope you enjoy them.
.JPG)
I'm sure this was a very moving experience. Having a family member (brother in law) who is Military and very devoted to giving back makes it more meaningful.
ReplyDeleteIt was moving, and so beautiful. The gardens surrounding the graves were spectacular.
ReplyDeleteCall me strange, but I kind of love cemeteries. There is just something peaceful and sobering about them. Beautiful shots!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful cemetery. Is that weird? The Griffin's originated from outside of St. Louis and we visited the one stoplight town and Griffin Lane where they used to own and run the General Store. The old man who lived behind it still knew my dad's entire family had the best stories. And across the street was this old cemetery and all of our relatives were buried right there. It was so unreal. I love cemeteries because of the stories buried right under your feet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. This one was really peaceful and I thought some of the inscriptions on the gravestones were incredibly touching, like the ones in the photo above...my only boy...my precious wife...
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful experience, to be among all of your relatives like that, wondering what each one was like. I think that's incredible. I'm not sure where most of our relatives are buried but I'd love to find out.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful. I know that cemeteries can be creepy sometimes, but I really do think they can be some of the most beautiful places, especially older ones like this one with so much history. So many souls and stories.
ReplyDeleteI remember you wrote a beautiful post a while ago about a cemetery you visited. They really are special places.
ReplyDelete"my only boy" - how heartbreaking! I love cemeteries. I actually find them really peaceful and centering - they really put things in perspective, you know?
ReplyDeleteI know, isn't that so touching? It really was a peaceful afternoon.
ReplyDelete