Hope Garden (Jardín Esperanza) | Will It Be The Right Place?
Once again I greet the Hive community with much affection. It has been a month since the event that changed the life of my little family forever. Throughout the month of February we have had to learn what life is like without my dad's presence and all that comes with the death of such a close family member, because no one has a guide on how to act in these moments.
One of the tasks that has made us think the most is what to do with my dad's ashes. Since I was a child I have seen how they bury my grandparents, uncles and some cousins, it was normal for me, but my dad always made it clear that he wanted cremation. To my surprise, my mom insists that his ashes must rest in a sacred place, like a temple, it's part of her Catholic beliefs. I thought everyone scattered the ashes of their deceased...
In this way we found a place called Garden of Hope, a columbarium for the ashes of those who have died and have been cremated. This place is located in the Santa Cruz de Aragua Parish and is one of the great options we have in my state. The cover image of this post is a small grotto, the first thing you see when you enter the columbarium, full of vegetation, flowers and images representing God and the Virgin Mary. It is a village, a place away from the noise of the big cities and you can usually hear the birds singing and the running water of the fountains.
As you can see in these photographs, the columbarium has several gardens and in them are the cubicles for the small urns of the deceased to rest. Some are individual and some are family. It is possible to buy an exclusive niche to place 4 urns.
There was something that caught my attention and you can see it in the first picture below. The Garden of Hope also has a well. This is a common grave where family members can scatter the ashes, and for believing Catholics like us, especially my mom, it is quite convenient, since the scattering is in the same sacred place.
This Columbarium is at the back of the church, so it is considered a sacred place. I respect my mother's beliefs and according to the scriptures, at the end of time God will call us body and soul, so she does not think it is a good idea that the ashes are scattered around the world. I don't think the same way, I believe that even in that very same bed they will end up becoming more dust, and in that case, I am sure that for God nothing is impossible, so it doesn't matter how the body ends up.
An important quality of this resting place is that every Saturday a prayer group meets in the garden exclusively to pray for the deceased, there are always rosaries and a monthly mass in thanksgiving. This is something that I do share, since I believe that after death the ashes or anything earthly do not matter, but the soul is the one who deserves attention, and as humans I believe that we cannot do more for our departed relatives than to pray and ask that they may have God's mercy and enjoy eternal rest.
I still don't know if we will decide on this place to bring my father's ashes, but there is variety and great features that put it among one of our first choices. The only thing against it is the disadvantage of being in Santa Cruz de Aragua, very far from the capital Maracay and really is a place that we rarely visit in life. I feel that it makes no sense to place my dad in a place that was hardly important for him or for us, besides, due to its location, we will hardly pass by there often. On the other hand, economics in Venezuela is a serious issue, the price of this garden is quite affordable.
I took these pictures with my Tecno Pova II and they do not have any editing. I hope you can appreciate the beauty of this resting place for the deceased even though I am not a great photographer and do not have the proper tools to capture good images. I appreciate the visit and the support that you always give me in each publication and I wish you an excellent weekend. If you have any opinion about this site and if I should consider it as an option I would like you to let me know in the comment box... Bye!
Pic by @zorajr
En ese lugar, descansan los restos de mi mamá y de mi abuela (una al lado de la otra), dos mujeres que fueron pilares fundamentales para mi vida y que aún hoy lo siguen siendo.
He ido a ese lugar en 3 oportunidades y te puedo decir 2 cosas, primero es la paz tan grande que se siente al llegar allí, es tan diferente a un cementerio, quizás los jardines, el cuidado, estar al lado de una iglesia, no lo sé, pero sin duda creo que el ambiente allí es diferente y da paz a quienes tienen allí a sus familiares.
Lo otro que puedo decir es que cada vez que voy termino llorando, es inevitable no sentirse conmovida por extrañar a las personas que allí están, y en cuanta falta hacen.
Creo que ese lugar es una buena opción, a mi también me queda muy alejado, pero sinceramente cuando uno quiere visitarlo, hay muchas opciones de transporte para llegar. Comparto la opinión de tu mamá de que quienes ya no están merecen un lugar donde descansar y este es muy digno, además permite a quienes seguimos en este mundo, comenzar a cerrar ciclos (sin que esto signifique olvidarlos, porque eso jamás pasará).
In that place rest the remains of my mother and my grandmother (one next to the other), two women who were fundamental pillars of my life and still are today.
I have been there 3 times and I can tell you 2 things, first is the great peace that you feel when you get there, it is so different from a cemetery, maybe the gardens, the care, being next to a church, I do not know, but I certainly believe that the atmosphere there is different and gives peace to those who have their relatives there.
The other thing I can say is that every time I go there I end up crying, it is inevitable not to feel moved by missing the people who are there, and how much they are missing.
I think that place is a good option, it is also far away for me, but honestly when you want to visit it, there are many transportation options to get there. I share your mom's opinion that those who are no longer there deserve a place to rest and this is very worthy, it also allows those of us who are still in this world to begin to close cycles (without this meaning forgetting them, because that will never happen).
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Lo más importante es que la familia, en especial tu mamá se sienta cómoda y conforme con la decisión, basados en sus creencias religiosas, pues la fe es un motor muy grande en la vida.
He ido a este lugar y me pareció pacífico y acorde.
The most important thing is that the family, especially your mother, feels comfortable with the decision, based on your religious beliefs, because faith is a very big driving force in life.
I have been to this place and found it to be peaceful and in accordance.
Mi Bro querido el lugar está muy bonito y está condicionado para ello, sin embargo lo que mencionas de lo alejado que está es para considerarlo, básicamente porque asumo que querrán tener contacto de algún modo con los restos de tu papá.. decídanlo con mucha calma y valorando todos esos detalles para que todos se sientan bien con la decisión, independientemente de las perspectivas que se tengan con respecto al tema!!!
Mi tía debe ir a Venezuela pronto porque quiere traerse las cenizas de mi abuela, ella también pidió que la cremaran cuando falleciera y sus cenizas reposan en un lugar similar pero en Caracas; no sé que harán luego con sus cenizas pero parto del mismo principio que tú, la oración por sus almas es lo mejor que podemos hacer desde aquí para que estén en sintonía con la luz de Dios 🙏💖!!!
Sé que decidirán lo mejor, lo importante como te mencioné es que todos estén de acuerdo para que estén en paz con ustedes mismos dentro de este proceso... te mando un fuerte abrazo mi hermano, bendiciones para todos en casa.. es bonito que cuentes con todos para hablar de tu proceso personal y familiar, eso vale oro mi Bro... You Rockkk!!! 💛