The day of the dead

I've had a great few days. I spent a day at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery with my daughter and husband, wandering through the amazing memories created on the behalf of the dead. It is nice to see how loved people are, even in death, and the lengths people will go to to keep their memories alive.

Our goal on this visit was to find the resting place of William Lyon McKenzie King. But in our travels we found the Eaton, Massey, and Gooderham Mausoleums, to name a few. These were large, elaborate crypts, generous in their stone work and creative in their architecture.

There were also the smaller, more poignant headstones, outlining a life well lived, or not lived long enough.

The great thing about Mt. Pleasant is how peaceful and well kept it is. The dead are respected and cherished. With the sun out, and the wind rustling through the trees, you can feel the presence of the past all around you. I love to touch the stones, imagine the life lived long ago.

Afterwards, we went to the Toronto Necropolis. It, too, is a wonderful old cemetery. The "residents" have been housed there since the 1850's when bodies were moved from Potters Field at Yonge and Bloor to their present site.

The Necropolis houses some famous people from our Canadian past, and it was like being on a scavenger hunt, trying to locate the various celebrities. We found Ned Hanlan, George Brown, William Lyon McKenzie, to name a few.

But the best part, despite getting caught in a rain storm, was the time spent with my family. We talk about trends that we see in the dates of death, what it must have been like to bury so many family members at one time, and we try to find connections between the families.

As for William Lyon McKenzie King, we never found him. On returning home and researching the names of those we found, we determined he was in fact at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, where our search had begun.

So the nice part of all of this is that we are planning Mt. Pleasant II...a continuation of our previous visit, and more time spent together. Its amazing how nice a day can be when your teenager is interested in what you are doing, and wants to participate.

I think I have found the key to life....and it appears to be held by the dead.