I love the little unexpected surprises of life.
We recently took a trip to the Palouse with some photo friends (which I’ll cover in an upcoming post), and between the towns of Dayton and Colfax, just outside the tiny speck-on-the-map of Dusty, we came across this charming little cemetery. It’s out in the middle of nowhere, and we only stumbled upon it because we were seeking a gas station and accidentally drove too far.
It was the gate the first drew us in, but it was the many unique gravestones that piqued our curiosities. I find modern graveyards don’t tend to have the same character; they’re typically fairly uniform. Conversely, the older ones are full of stones that speak to each individual and her personality.
I was absolutely delighted to come across this headstone, topped with a ceramic cat. I had the sudden urge to meet this person who had a fondness for cats akin to my own. And it made me happy to think this soul is protected by a fuzzy sentry, frozen forever mid-purr; I hope it lends some security in the afterlife. I could see something similar being placed upon my own grave, and I could think of no better protector and companion beyond death.
One doesn’t typically expect a visit to a cemetery to be anything other than somber at best, but the fascination of so many distinct personality fragments, immortalized on this small square of land, was irresistible. Though the lives are no longer part of this world, I couldn’t help be get the sense that everyone represented there was at peace.
I think I would be, too, if I also had a kitty with me.
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That’s a lie the cemetry doesn’t look dusty to me, but then I will rather not open the coffins. May have been the first time I smiled looking at a name of a cemetry 🙂
I hadn’t really thought of it like that, and I’m not sure why not… that makes me think of this cemetery a little differently!