What is it about cemeteries? Why the allure? Do spirits really hang out where the bodies are buried? I always thought that a cemetery would be the last place a disembodied spirit would want to hang – nothing going on there.

And yet, cemeteries - especially old ones – have such a draw for so many people. I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, it is the history and the art. Gravestones are a work of art. They are in turn beautiful, intricate and cold. Much like I’ve always imagined death would be.

If you find a really old cemetery, then you can get a sense of history. We have a pioneer cemetery in the town where I live. Reading the names and dates on the gravestone gives me feeling of wonder. Walking and looking at the graves I have a sense of continuity. Here is someone who died 100 years ago. And here, next to them, is someone who died last year.

All of the history of the generations have come to rest side-by-side. In death, no matter when, where or how we lived, we are all the same.