Honoring your ancestors

I spent the last weekend back in my home town, visiting family. However, I
made it a point to carve out a couple of hours to visit the local cemetery
many of my ancestors are buried in.

What stood out to me were all the graves with decorations, mementos,
plants, etc. It had been a while since I had been there, so I forgot about
this practice. What also stood out to me were all the graves that had
nothing there.  When was the last time these were visited?

We as a people have holidays associated with remembering the dead, honoring
them and leaving meals out for them. Examples include the Celtic Samhain
and the Lithuanian Velines. But don’t let these be the only times you honor
them. If you have the opportunity, visit their grave stones. Even if you
have nothing to offer them at the time, just let them know they are still
honored in this world. Let them know we still think about them. Even if
they were before your time, and you never met them, let them know they are
still remembered here.  You carry on their legacy: to you their torch was
passed.

And make sure their stone or grave site is well maintained. Too many graves
I saw neglected, poorly maintained, covered in grass or obscured by weeds.
It is up to us to keep their stones, not groundskeepers.

-Hariwulfaz