Although I loathe funerals -avoiding them is a cultivated skill- I do have a tremendous fondness for cemeteries. I always have. I enjoy the solitude, the architectural beauty of landscaped grounds and moss-covered monuments, and even the thoughts of all those souls whose bodies once traversed this earth.

Everyone has a story. Allegedly, there are 8 million of them in the naked city, but what of the billions upon billions of individuals interred around the world in these peaceful places?

I am fascinated by the people. Who they were. How they lived and died. And what they left behind. Let's face it. Most of us will never preside over nations and kingdoms, or win Academy awards, or discover cures for seemingly incurable diseases. Most of us are just ordinary people. We live, we love, and then we go. How wonderful that Find A Grave allows everyone to be a star. To be remembered and to be honored. We all deserve that.

I encourage all contributors to please write a bio for the persons you manage. People are so much more than just names and dates engraved on a dusty tombstone. Let us know something about the person. Anything. Nothing is too insignificant, because these people lived and should never be forgotten.

"When you have tasted flight, you will always walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward; for there you have been and there you will long to return."

Although I loathe funerals -avoiding them is a cultivated skill- I do have a tremendous fondness for cemeteries. I always have. I enjoy the solitude, the architectural beauty of landscaped grounds and moss-covered monuments, and even the thoughts of all those souls whose bodies once traversed this earth.

Everyone has a story. Allegedly, there are 8 million of them in the naked city, but what of the billions upon billions of individuals interred around the world in these peaceful places?

I am fascinated by the people. Who they were. How they lived and died. And what they left behind. Let's face it. Most of us will never preside over nations and kingdoms, or win Academy awards, or discover cures for seemingly incurable diseases. Most of us are just ordinary people. We live, we love, and then we go. How wonderful that Find A Grave allows everyone to be a star. To be remembered and to be honored. We all deserve that.

I encourage all contributors to please write a bio for the persons you manage. People are so much more than just names and dates engraved on a dusty tombstone. Let us know something about the person. Anything. Nothing is too insignificant, because these people lived and should never be forgotten.

"When you have tasted flight, you will always walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward; for there you have been and there you will long to return."