In the first months of the pandemic, stores and restaurants were closed in America. Even using public transport or taking a taxi was risky. Due to social distancing, we couldn’t meet with people. Cemeteries, however, were open for visits during certain periods. I walked through the cemeteries in Cambridge and nearby areas. In these places, I felt the presence of people who once lived, now no longer with us, in their simple or elaborate tombstones, in the figurines, statues, belongings, writings, and sometimes photos beside them.
It was as if they were telling me something: ‘We were once like you, but we are no longer in your world. Responsibilities were always placed upon us, and we too placed them on others. You continue to bear and place these burdens. Our tombstones read mother, father, spouse, warrior, soldier, hero. While in the world, we were called rich or poor. Even here, the desire for display and possessions persisted, yet now we have no connection to wealth. Here, we are all together, and there is no difference between us. When we were alive, responsibilities, duties, and expectations were placed on us. We were human; love, friendship, peace, and tranquility were important to us. These things are just as important to you…’
