I have really struggled with this week’s 52 Ancestors Challenge theme, “Solitude”. Everything that came to mind was something I wrote about in last year’s challenge, and didn’t need repeating for a second, third, or even fourth time. I also could not think of a creative way to bend the theme to suit some other purpose.
However, two days ago, well after this week’s theme was posted, we had a death in our extended family. Tomorrow is the funeral. It will be at a cemetery I used to pass often, when I lived in a different part of the city. Planning my route for tomorrow, the solitude of the location of the cemetery came to mind. It also reminded me of the quiet solitude of most cemeteries I’ve been to, whether in a remote rural location or in the middle of a bustling urban centre.
Solitude is often characterized by descriptions of melancholy, sadness, misery, and unhappiness. I don’t think that’s accurate. To me, that’s loneliness, the opposite of solitude. Solitude is more a description of the contentment or joy one can experience with being in a quiet place or on your own. It’s descriptive of what we wish for our deceased loved ones when we say, “rest in peace”.
So, to our late family member, rest in peace. May your memory be a blessing.
A Deck of Ancestors 