I felt in was time for a walk through the cemetery, so my family and I took advantage of a beautiful afternoon by going to Hamilton cemetery.
This is the oldest cemetery in the province of Ontario and has some incredible tombs and gravestone throughout it! This was not the reason for the visit though, I regularly visit as a reminder to the principle of Memento Mori (Remember you must die).
I think that Marcus Aurelius put it perfectly when he wrote "You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think."
Meditating on the fact that your time will come but it is not now, right now you have the beautiful gift of life to utilize by focusing on the present moment. How you can be a the best person that you can be! Structuring your life according to what is important!
Walking through the tombstones, I started to think about how much effort had been put into some of them. Large statues and opulent structures sitting amongst regular stones and even some just a small piece of stone laying on the ground. Mentally comparing it to life. How some people need to have huge mansions, flashy cars, etc. To feel accomplished. While others found their happiness in more "mundane" things.
Is this an example of materialism even after death? I don't know and wont ever claim to. But personally I think that a person who understands what is truly important in this short life that we get, would be more focused on forming memories with the people around them and learning about their experience. Than they would be about a magnificent tombstone for people to walk by nearly 100 years later. With no connection of knowledge of that person, their life, their experience, etc.
"Almost nothing material is needed for a happy life, for he who has understood existence." - Marcus Aurelius
The end of the walk turned out to be a great test of the stoic principles that I try to live by!
I decided to put my drone up, but with the glaring afternoon sun. I could barely see the screen. So I set up in the shade of a large maple tree. Launched the drone and though I had it far enough away from the tree before sending it upwards, and ended up being very wrong about that! It crashed into the tree, about 30 feet up. Leaves covered the camera lens so I could not see what it was seeing and could not find it in the leaves (visually). After a half hour of searching, I finally spotted it and starting trying to climb the tree to get it.
After a few scrapes and bruises, I realized that wasn't going to work. So I started throwing sticks, hoping to knock it loose. After what felt like hundreds of throws, my aim was finally spot on. But too spot on! I hit it (hard) and it fell out, and of course it landed on the paved path rather than the grass.
At this point I couldn't even be angry or sad. Instead my family and I started to laugh and joke. Could you imagine what it must have looked like if anyone was watching this ordeal? lol A middle aged guy trying to climb a huge tree, then throwing sticks at it repeatedly. With his family running all around the paths.
Without even thinking about doing it, we were able to turn this ordeal that honestly I can't afford to fix and has a negative effect on me. Into a good time while creating memories.
It is in these moment of difficulty that our reactions create the memories and structure of not only your life but those around you as well. Forming the relationships you have that are important because they are the only ones who will know and remember you!