The cemetery in the ghost town of Paradise, Kentucky looks abandoned, the tall grasses hiding the smaller stones. These tall ones really stood out. The one above 1816-1839. At first we couldn't tell what the carving at the top was, but on the next one (below) we decided it was a tree, most likely a weeping willow.
Judith
wife of
Aaron Smith
1792-1860
Notice the intricate carving from over 150 years ago.
The weeping willow was a popular headstone carving in the 1800s.
Most assume the weeping willow is a symbol of grief based upon the name and down turned branches, and they are not wrong. But something I think fewer people may know is that the weeping willow is also a symbol of immortality. In Christianity specifically, the gospel teaches the tree "will flourish and remain whole, no matter how many branches are cut off." ~Southern Graves
The cemetery is on a hill, and at one time possibly overlooking the Green River in the valley below, but now the view is the TVA Paradise plant across the road.
We enjoy discovering the history of the areas where we travel. Sometimes the cemeteries are our favorite places to visit. I asked Buddy if maybe we should change our final resting plans to burial instead of cremation. He said why so our stones would be overgrown and forgotten like these?
