Summary
Tending to the gravesite allowed the bereaved to establish a physical engagement with the landscape, one in keeping with the rhythm of nature. Planting flowers, shrubs and trees and observing their seasonal variations remind the living of the cycle of life and death: the abundant growth of spring, the beauty of summer, the fading of autumn leaves into the stillness of winter.
Even though roadside memorials are erected exclusively for tragic deaths, the rise in this phenomenon can be seen to indicate a disenchantment with traditional locations for the dead. Contemporary cemeteries can efficiently accommodate the departed (and the machines required to trim the grass that grows above their heads), but they fail to accommodate the living.In the case of particularly troubling deaths or intransigent sites, the bereaved could be provided with the alternative of memorializing their loved one with elements that ameliorate the death site, such as commemorative seating, special paving materials or even memorial plantings, depending upon the site conditions. These gestures can remediate the stigma associated with the memorial site by introducing amenities that commemorate the dead and bring beauty and comfort into the public realm.See the full content of this document
Extract
Making Private Memorials Acceptable
The most protracted form of grief is initiated by tragic death.
In addition to the shock, sorrow and anger caused by an unexpected loss of life, some fatalities -- such as the death of the young, deaths by murder, suic...See the full content of this document
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