Page 45 - Demo

ChildrenWithout a doubt, the statues of children are the most poignant I%u2019ve come across in cemeteries. These innocents, who were supposed to outlive their parents, but didn%u2019t%u2014having passed on, barely tasting life%u2014leave a deep, enduring ache in the hearts of those left behind. In fact, seeing them can make me feel a little less trusting of Life. However, while I can%u2019t help but share a profound sadness, I sense, much more strongly, the extraordinary love that the family%u2014especially the parents%u2014had for their offspring. I can feel how a particular child, whether an adolescent or an hours-old infant, made an unalterable difference in their lives. For me, it%u2019s quite a moving experience, and I%u2019m not alone in being affected%u2014across the years%u2014by this love, because other cemetery visitors seem to be similarly touched. For, as I drive the winding lanes, I regularly see flowers placed on the statues of youngsters%u2014even 100 years after the boy or girl has passed.St. Peter%u2019s CemeteryDaviess Co. (366-10)St. Joseph%u2019s CemeteryDubois Co. (378-07)