Conscious Remembrance – The Spiritual Lessons of Ancestor Veneration

As summer turns to fall, take an afternoon to make a pilgrimage. Enlist a close family member to visit a loved one’s burial place. Take flowers and spruce up the grave. Let your thoughts return to the past and share the stories that come to mind. If you have never visited the site before, a stop at the office will help you find the plot. Active cemeteries keep Sexton’s records and can often furnish you with a map.

Another way to connect with your ancestors is by learning their stories and keeping family records. Get your entire family involved as you track down your great-great grandfather and uncover the story of his life. Genealogy websites have made it easier to track your family’s past. Obituaries, funeral cards and other death record will list the cemetery where your relative was buried. When you discover the location of the family member’s grave, a research visit to the cemetery might provide other valuable information. Photograph the headstone or do an etching to record the information. Besides birth and death dates you may find other valuable facts such as a maiden name, family relationships, town of origin, and possibly a religious affiliation. Keep a printed record of your findings and share it with your family. Not only will you uncover family stories, you will strengthen the bonds of your extended family group.

If you are not into research behind a computer, you can tap into your family’s stored knowledge by asking each household to bring a photograph of a family member who has passed on to your next holiday gathering. Pass around the photos one by one as you encourage everyone to voice a memory. You will be surprised by the stories that come forward. The telling of family stories provides a link to the past as it breathes new life into someone who has been forgotten by the others creating a feeling of connectedness that goes beyond the grave.