inspired by a gravestone

I love the way Quaker Simplicity is expressed in their gravestones. Quakers decided in the eighteenth century to ban the use of gravestones in their burial grounds. This was rescinded in the mid nineteenth century, although each burial ground had to maintain a uniformity of style and wording in order to guard against 'any distinction being made in that place between the rich and the poor'.

Kendal Friends agreed on a simple small rectangular gravestone and so that when they decided in recent times to group them together by the side of the path, they were able to grass over the central area and create flower borders round the perimeter. It was lovely to see the garden used recently by a visiting party of schoolchildren who sat on the grass in small groups happily eating their packed lunches.

On reading the gravestones today, it was apparent that Hannah was a popular girl's name in the mid nineteenth century. I chose this one because my birthday is on June 1st. Here it is called the sixth month because in the past, Quakers did not like to use the pagan names for months of the year or days of the week. This is no longer the case. However, Quakers are still prepared to challenge corruption and inequality whenever they find it and simplicity in their lifestyle remains important to them.