TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
(Latin: Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.) Genesis 3:19

I took the above photo at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. It was a raining day in December 2007. How appropriate to have the sign "One Way" in a cemetery. No matter how rich, how smart or how good looking a person is, he/she will eventually die, just like everyone else. We all move toward "one way" of living and sooner or later reaching the inevitable final stage. Cemeteries are kind of like museum without walls, unspoken stories of the past, a quiet place for walking, some provide beautiful landscapes, historic headstones of famous people, some with exquisite art works and definitely a place for thoughtful reflection. Green-Wood is Brooklyn's great Victorian Garden Cemetery. The first burial took place in 1840. More than 70 individuals who died in the September 11, 2001 attack were buried at Green-Wood. Famous people and mayors of New York City were buried here.

Ash Wednesday Mass was at 7 p.m. so we just had a piece of toast and big glass of juice after we both got home from work. We were supposed to fast and abstain from meat all day. It was not that difficult except during a committee meeting when lunch was being served and a tray of cookies was placed in front of me.
It was written that "Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die". I often wonder if the person does not believe in heaven or hell, then what happens to the soul when the body died. I am not trying to "shove my religion down anyone's throat" or impose my faith on the readers, just trying to understand the other side of non-believers. If there is no such thing as the souls, then what exactly are the emotions such as love, guilt, sense of longing, connections or feelings?

I always visited my Dad's resting place (niche) whenever I was in New York. Most of the time the visit would include Mom, my brother, sister and my husband. My sister-in-law and her family (from mainland China) believe that death is bad luck and cemeteries are places to stay away from as, again, places of bad luck. Of course, it is not good luck when a person passed away, but in their supertious minds, these people don't consider that dying is part of life. For example, when someone in the family died, members of this family must not go to other people's homes and no one would visit that family either, for a period of 30 days or longer. We were "instructed" not to look at the casket when it was being carried to the hearse. After we came home from the funeral, we were supposed to wash our face first before entering the house. It was February and freezing cold that day! I did not care for any of these silly practices.

I usually asked for a moment alone with my Dad, just quietly said that I missed him and that we always think of him. "Rest well, Dad. I love you." before leaving.