𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 - 𝐡𝐲𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐧

一

I know "cemetery caretaker" is a less-than-glamorous job title, but it's really not as bad as it sounds. I had gotten the job by pure accident, thinking I was applying for a gardening position. In some senses, it sort of was. I had to keep the grass neatly cut and arrange any flowers left by grieving friends and family. I was also to keep the headstones clean out of respect for the dead, and chase away any animals who came too close to their resting place.

The best part of my job was simultaneously the worst. It wasn't part of my job description, but it was important to me. I saw people in pain, and I tried to comfort them. I learned that most people like to tell stories about the deceased; it often made them laugh through their tears and relive the positive memories. Other times, I heard stories of unimaginable tragedy. To those families, I could only offer my sympathy and well wishes.

There was one family in particular whose story stuck with me: their teenage son was exploring an old abandoned house, and it collapsed on him, crushing his skull and killing him instantly. It took days for the police to find him after his parents reported him missing. His mother told me about how horrible it was when she got a call from the police asking her to identify her son's body. She tried to tell me that story on three separate occasions, but the memory was always too painful. I can only imagine the image of her son that's burned into her brain forever.

I felt deeply for that family. They visited every Thursday afternoon, and they brought their son's dog with them. They'd sit beside his grave and talk to him for hours on end. I started leaving flowers at his grave as well as snacks for his parents and treats for his dog, and I made sure his headstone was always in pristine condition. His mother cried in my arms when she discovered I was the one trying to ease the family's pain and make visiting their son more enjoyable.

Never did I expect to be a cemetery caretaker, but people like them were the reason I was grateful I'd decided to stay.

thursday january 21