Friday, April 4, 2014

April 4, 2014 - Silent Sentinels

A visit to the Old Harpswell Common Burying Ground always evokes a feeling of time bearing down on me.  Most of the graves are from the 1700s and 1800s, with some of the inhabitants having been born in the 1600s.  It's hard to imagine, but they were here, living their lives as I am today.  They had hopes and dreams, fears and loves.  There are graves of tiny babies and young people, some of who may have been saved with modern medicine.  Yet there are a fair amount of elderly inhabitants as well, so even in this harsh climate, those of strong constitution lived long lives.  Many of the old tombstones have an eerie story to tell at the bottom of them, with phrases such as, "Prepare to follow me."  Some talk about the vanity of the living, others about reward and punishment.  There are Revolutionary War heroes buried here with the flag standing in salute at their graves.  Everywhere there is a sense of silence and peace, without a care in the world.