"Just as the pure white lotus flower blooms unsoiled in muddy water, our lives, which are supremely noble, can continue to shine even amid life’s harshest realities." - Daisaku Ikeda
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THE HARDEST THING TO LEARN IN LIFE IS WHICH BRIDGE TO CROSS AND WHICH TO BURN
FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES
A Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk plaque in St James Park
The memorial walk is a 7-mile (11 km) long circular walking trail in central London, England, dedicated to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. The walk passes between Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James's Park in a figure-eight pattern, passing five sites that are associated with Princess Diana's life: Kensington Palace, Spencer House, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and Clarence House. It is marked with ninety individual plaques, each of which has a heraldic rose etched in the centre made of aluminium.
Dad's final resting place
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| columbarium in St Michaels' church |
An imposing statue of St Michael the Archangel vanquishing Satan stands in front of the church
Sharing the same church grounds is a Catholic graveyard.
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| The children's graveyard is right in front of the columbarium. |
Every grave marker has a story to tell.
Little Joseph lived for two days before he was called to The Lord.
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Baby Gerald lived for 37 days. I was born in the same year. He would be 60 today.
His mom joined him in heaven two days after.
The inscription makes this little boy’s death all the more poignant.
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Weathered and chipped, the gravestones with their fading inscriptions are evident that they have been here for a long time. I am guessing the parents of these departed children have passed on too and they all are now eternally reunited in heaven. I wonder if anyone still visits these graves.
Interestingly, I learned that there is a difference between cemeteries and graveyards. Cemeteries are usually larger and not associated with a church while graveyards are smaller and connected to churches, usually residing on the church grounds. The terms are used interchangeably these days
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.
Prayer for Eternal Rest (The Requiem Prayer)
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
~Amen~
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei,
requiescant in pace.
~Amen~
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Such a pretty Japanese garden! I didn't know the difference between cemeteries and graveyards so thank you, Veronica, for explaining it here! I like to walk old cemeteries and the like just to look at the gravestones and ponder the lives they had lived or in the case of the little ones, the life that was snatched too early from them to live. Great assortment this week of pictures Veronica!
ReplyDeletebetty
Lovely lotus flower! I wish they could grow in my garden, but it's too cold here in the winter.
ReplyDeleteThe japanese garden is very beautiful.
Have a nice week ahead, Veronica!
Beautiful photos and captions.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard until I read this post, Veronica. So poignant to see the graves of the little ones. Makes me so thankful for the health of my three grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Very nice places and flowers. The prayer is very popular in Catholic Italy. My grandmother taught it to me.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new week ahead, Veronica!
statue of St Michael the Archangel looks great....
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing photos and interesting explanations ....
I did not know the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard. Thanks for that. I can't contemplate the children's graves too much or I'll start to cry.
ReplyDeleteLovely lillies, the Japanese garden is so tranquil looking, it's purpose is working. I do like seeing cemeteries from around the world and some of the sculptures you see are beautiful
ReplyDeleteDearest Veronica,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely resting place for your Dad; such a beautiful Columbarium.
Both of us prefer not to be buried and placed in a graveyard.
Here there mainly are cemeteries, no graveyards, except some old ones.
The lotus flower is such a regal bloom!
Hugs,
Mariette
Bellas flores y me gusto la estatua de arcángel. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post and pictures. It's so sad when children die shortly after birth. I am sure they are at peace in the light of God! Have a great week, take care, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteDear Veronica,
ReplyDeleteI like the saying by Daisaku Ikeda very much - and your photos of the lotus flower and the beautifully designed Japanese garden too!
When the opportunity arises, I like to walk through cemeteries and let the gravestones tell me stories. Some - like those of the deceased children - are very sad. It may be that no relatives visit the graves anymore, but other visitors come and send positive thoughts to the departed souls - I think there is something beautiful about this thought.
All the best from Austria and have a good week!
Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/07/mallorca-reisebericht-teil-3-tag-7-bis.html
Life brings many lessons, some hard. We have to learn and maybe this way we can overcome all suffering and live in the fullness of love, regardless of the distance of time and space and, who knows, the various planes of existence. I really liked the photos and the text interspersed with reflections. A hug, Raquel
ReplyDeleteI am moved by the photo and quote of the lovely lotus flower! Your dad's final resting place is lovely and the statue of Michael is amazing! I can't visit cemeteries or graveyards anymore, but what you've captured in photos is amazing and really impacts me as to how fortunate we are to have lived as long as we have. Thanks always for sharing a little piece of your life through your wonderful photos!
ReplyDeleteWe have a Japanese garden in the neighbourhood too. It's really beautiful. Love the lotus bloom.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Regine
ReplyDeletei had many emotions, joyful, inspired, sadness over your beautiful post today. Sadness for only a moment because this overwhelming love for those little ones and their families kind of welled up... Nice post today. Thanks for sharing the water lillies, Princess Diana's walk way... and just really enjoyed it all.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, Veronica. Thanks for the explanation of the differences between cemeteries and graveyards.
ReplyDeleteIt's not hard to understand that artists have been drawn to water lilies throughout the ages.
ReplyDeleteI've always used graveyards and cemeteries interchangeably. Thanks for sharing the differences between them.
ReplyDeleteI'm always fascinated by old cemeteries. I find them a source of comfort and peace.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2022/08/magical.html
Hello,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, I love the lotus flowers. The cemetery statues are beautiful, it is sad to see so many graves for young babies. Your Dad has a lovely final resting area. Thanks for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
Thank you for sharing these lovely photographs Veronica. The cemetery looks beautiful and the flowers are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThe water lilies are excellent, thanks Veronica.
ReplyDeleteYou never fail each week love these and another interesting gallimaufry
ReplyDeleteHave a gallimaufrytastic week👍
Such beautiful photos and so many stories to tell!
ReplyDeleteThe gravestones are beautiful and sad.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful photos and that memorial walk is really special, as is all of those memorials.
ReplyDeleteA sad but also uplifting pot. Thank you Veronica.
ReplyDeleteHello Veronica,
ReplyDeleteWhat an impressive shots of that memorial walk. Wonderful.
The water lilies are very nice.
Many greetings,
Marco
Thanks for the definition of cemeteries and grave yards. It makes sense reading the difference although in modern times I guess nearly all of us are buried in cemeteries.
ReplyDeleteinteresting post. I find it very serene.
ReplyDeleteso pretty photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos of the lotus blossom and the Japanese garden!
ReplyDeleteCarol
www.scribblingboomer.com
Que las flores de loto blanca sigan floreciendo sin mancha y brillando para que la vida nos sea menos dura amiga. Preciosas flores y esculturas. Gran post Verónica.
ReplyDeleteBuena semana.
Un abrazo.
Such poignant photos all. The Princess Diana walk is one I would love to take.
ReplyDeleteThe children's cemetery brings tears, but also gratitude that we live in a time when those graves are more rare. My parents ashes are interred in a part of our hometown cemetery that had at one time in the past been reserved for an expansion of the infant's cemetery. But with modern medicine and care, that expansion was thankfully no longer needed and so the cemetery board turned it into an area for cremains.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad to see how short a life was lived on those grave stones. The Japanese garden is beautiful
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures! The lotus is gorgeous.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Lovely
www.mynameislovely.com
The white lotus is gorgeous! Good quote you have with it too.
ReplyDeleteGostei destas fotografias.
ReplyDeleteUm abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
Livros-Autografados
The waterlilies are absolutely beautiful as are the photos of the park. The children's cemetery is interesting but very sad.
ReplyDelete...I find many childrens grave here, many have small lambs on top.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful walk through the times.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, you have magnificent photos. Those lotus images are especially beautiful. Just the other day I was looking at my England photos and had one similar to your Diana photo in St. James Park. What a fabulous park. I didn't realize, though, the extent of the walk or that it passed by so many significant places. I'll have to check that out when I return.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful garden and beautiful cemetery. It's sad when the little ones die so young.
ReplyDeleteLove the water lilies.
Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. ♥
Those garden photos are just beautiful! We have water lilies on our lake that look similar to the lotus blossoms.
ReplyDeleteOh! I didn't realize the difference between a graveyard and a cemetary either! And yes to knowing whether or not to burn bridges. Sometimes you think you should, but it's so hard to know.
ReplyDeleteI did not know the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard, so thanks Veronica Lee for the explanation, which makes sense when I think of the ones associated with churches that I have seen. I also walk through either one and read the headstone inscriptions as some are quite poignant, especially when they are for such young children.
ReplyDeleteThose are some moving stories from the graveyard. (I'll be thinking before uttering the words graveyard or cemetery, from now on. Thank you. :))
ReplyDeleteThank you also for taking us along the Memorial Walk.
And the Japanese garden looks lovely. They always succeed in creating that calm and peaceful atmosphere. :)
What a beautiful park! ... Love that wooden bridge.
ReplyDeleteNice post :-)
Regards!
I find children's graveyards (or cemetaries) incredibly sad. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteFabulous photos, I love that flowers and bridge :)
ReplyDeleteOften when my husband and I are out on trips we visit cemeteries. They are so calm and peaceful and carry so much history. Especially the old parts with many old and beautiful tombstones.
ReplyDeleteThat garden and lotus flower look amazing. I'm sure that you had amazing time visiting it.
ReplyDeleteOh my friend, I got tears in my eyes when I saw the statue of Saint Michael. He is my beloved Saint, and we recite the prayer at the end of every Mass in the Catholic Church. The cemetery has always been a peaceful place for me. My dad took me there at a very young age when he visited his parents, and taught me to respect the grounds. So sad to see the sites of the little children that are so young. I like Diana's plaque, it's lovely and special. That little bridge is so charming. The Japanese Garden is so pretty and peaceful. The lotus flower is beautiful, and I love the "lotus flower" quote.
ReplyDeleteHappy August to you, my friend.
~Sheri
love the beautiful waterlilies :)
ReplyDelete