'have you forgotten'

red house painters

whenever my mom and I went to my grandma's grave, she would meticulously clean it; sweep off the leaves, cut the overgrowing grass, that sort of thing. and what I remember most, after we did this, my usually outspoken, loudmouthed, in your face mother would kneel down (and make me do so as well) and lead a prayer. as we walked back to the car, she would clean up other graves we came across. some were so overgrown you could barely see them, and she would bend down with a tenderness so I so rarely saw and said a quick prayer under her breath as she did her job.


I needed to get out of the house today.
so I drove and drove until I came to this cementary I had never seen before.
I went to the back corner of it, got of my car and walked around.
as I did, I bent down and did my best to do what my mother did years ago.
maybe it sounds creepy or stupid....
but I know that I felt a little bit better as I drove away.