It occurred to me this morning while I tried to sit, unsuccessfully, for 15 minutes at my listening place, that I’d like to have a memorial similar to this when I die. The college student memorialized here, Marc von Trapp, was killed in a car accident a couple of years ago. The plaque reads:
The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow stronger. – Eden Phillpotts
This oak grove is dedicated to the spirit and memory of Marc von Trapp, Class of 2000, who had an insatiable curiosity about the world. May this be a peaceful place to contemplate the universe and sharpen your wits. Dedicated by Marc’s friends and family, June, 2000.
I like this memorial because of the philosophy imbued in it via the plaque and because it continues to serve others in a constructive way — a contemplation outpost.
Wednesday, May 15, is Peace Officers Memorial Day, part of National Police Week. The Annual Candlelight Vigil service was held Monday night at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. I’ve never thought much about annual memorial services like these, in part because I haven’t known anyone close to me who was killed in a war or the line of duty. But they are inspiring tributes for the living — those of us who’ve benefited from the sacrifice and services of the fallen.
I don’t expect that my wife and I will die in such a way that we’d ever be part of an annual memorial service. But it would be cool to have a memorial of some kind in a public place that serves the public — a park bench, a picnic table, a lookout, a newly planted tree. Way better than a boring gravestone or the fleeting memory of where our ashes get scattered.