Whether you’re a believer or not, you can’t help but admire the craftsmanship that went into building the churches in Sussex, England that have been around for centuries. I’ve never had the privilege of walking into a church more than a century old, but it’s on my bucket list to visit one day. Until then, I can only imagine walking through the churchyard filled with centuries old graves that have been worn smooth with time. Time has a way of gradually erasing memories and landmarks. It’s heartbreaking, but at the same time necessary, otherwise the world would be more crowded than it already is. Truly, we’re born with nothing, and we take nothing with us when we go.
The things we leave behind are up to us. Heirlooms are generally given away and scattered and forgotten within a couple of generations. Family will remember you for a couple of generations, and photos fall like leaves and blow in the wind, but eventually they will mold in a basement or go to a 404 message online. If you’re lucky enough to have published work, it might be around for a couple of decades, and then maybe go out of print. The exception would be the classics, but the cannon is already established. Maybe only a handful of books published today will be around within a century. What will remain is a community that will continue to marry, baptize children, and eventually have funeral services at the church. It’s a community that lasts for centuries, and it’s beautiful that they keep the structure, honor their history, and at the same time bring their own stories. Walking into any church, or religious structures in general, you gain a sense of that community that evolves over time, but stays exactly the same.
Yellow Birch Graphics 