Until she sobbed, we didn’t see her, even though just a few paces separated us.
We stood staring at the stone that marks the tandem grave of my Nan and Pop, he a veteran of World War II, she a veteran of raising four ‘adopted’ boys — my brothers and me. We stood amidst many acres of such stones in the fields where a grateful nation provides a measure of lasting dignity for the men and women who suffered innumerable indignities in the defense of liberty.
As I clasped my daughter’s hand and murmured ‘Has it really been seven years since Nan died?’ grief overflowed with the stifled sob behind us.
We turned to see a grey, hooded form kneeling, bent, clutching a cold stone marker, trembling. We could not see her face, nor the name on the stone that she wrapped in a desperate embrace. The ground was wet with snowmelt, and she knelt on something black. She had brought it with her for that purpose.
She had come to kneel, and to weep and to grieve and to pour out the bitterness from her longing heart.
She came to mourn.
My instinct was to go to her, and offer some words of comfort, but something restrained me. As if a voice said, “She came to mourn. She needs to mourn. Let her mourn.”
I took the picture because I never want to forget.
I share it with you for the same reason.
Honestly, Mr. Ott, this should be a Pulitzer-prize winning photo.
Unlike the crop of decidedly “meh” photos that have won in recent years. Thank you.
Touching photo.
If it were not for radical Muslims, we wouldn’t be fighting anyone in the world.
Scott, this photo is extrodinary. Your perception as usual is spot on. I am so happy that I found PJTV and PJ Media. You guys represent a sane voice in the midst of the insanity that we call this life. I wish that PJ Media could replace the various mountains of offal that passes for our news media today. They would have tried to interrupt this lady’s mourning in order to “get the story”. Thank you for not doing so. What you did and did NOT do is and should be the story that matters anyway. God bless you.
When I saw the headline, I thought I might have wandered into a PJMedia archive, since I thought it was a repeat of a story of a few years ago. I see it’s current and you took the photo. Memorial Day occurs in May, but should be observed year ’round. Thanks.
Here’s a link to the photo I remembered. I think I first saw it on Blackfive, now that I think about it.
http://poyi.org/65/MPOY/index.php
I had forgotten about that picture. I need to continually remember those who go in defense of liberty, and those they leave behind.
Live the Freedom,
Scott
Magnificent web site. A lot of useful info here. I am sending it to several friends ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks for your sweat!