Hietaniemi Cemetary

Helsinki, -14 degrees


Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave bereft
I am not there. I have not left.

Four coordinates - endless amount of harmony. Area, quarter, line and grave number. Never has my soul been more restful than this week when my beloved deceased mother finally received her grave location. Not because I think that that is where my mother from now on is, but it's still a symbolic place to visit her at. My mother wasn't originally from Helsinki, so therefore her family grave wasn't located here, but since we decided that that is what she would have wanted - to be buried in her home town - Helsinki, we had to wait for the new year to arrive so that we could reserve a new grave for her. My father rests in a family grave in the same cemetary, the second largest in Finland (the largest being Malmi Cemetary) named Hietaniemi Cemetary. It's for sure one of the most visited & photographed places in the city thanks to its beauty. The actual burying of my mother's urn will take place later on. It feels strange to say, but I'm happy that both of the graves are located facing the sea, something that was very important to them. As we walked through the wintry cemetary, it gave me a sensation of inner peace with all its marvelous silence & grace.

Neljä koordinaattia - loputon määrä harmoniaa. Alue, kortteli, linja ja hauta. Sieluni ei ole tuntenut vastaavanlaista rauhaa kuin tällä viikolla kun rakas edesmennyt äitini sai vihdoinkin hautapaikkansa. Ei tuntenut rauhaa siksi, että luulisin, että tästä lähtien äitini olinpaikka olisi hänen hautansa, vaan koska se on symbolinen paikka, jossa häntä voi käydä tervehtimässä. Äitini ei ollut paljasjalkainen helsinkiläinen vaikka isäni niin oli, joten äitini sukuhauta ei löydy Helsingistä. Halusimme kuitenkin haudata hänet tänne, koska tämä oli hänän kotikaupunkinsa. Näin ollen jouduimme odottamaan uutta vuotta, että saimme hänelle uuden hautapaikan. Isäni lepää samalla hautausmaalla, eli Hietaniemen hautausmaalla. Kappelityönjohtaja osasi kertoa, että kyseinen hautausmaa on Suomen toiseksi suurin. Kauneutensa takia kyseinen hautausmaa on yksi Helsingin suosituimmista & valokuvatuimmista paikoista. Äitini uurnan lasku ajoittuu myöhemmäksi. Tuntuu oudolta todeta, että olen iloinen siitä, että vanhempani molemmat haudat löytyvät lähellä merta koska meri oli heille niin tärkeä. Kun kävelimme lumisen hautausmaan läpi, niin tunsin sisäistä rauhaa koska hiljainen Hietaniemen hautausmaa oli kerrassaan upea talvimaisemineen & ylväineen puineen.


What's your opinion?

  1. That's so poignant, Elisabeth... True, our beloved ones are not in cemeteries, but you are very right when you say that this is important, it is a symbolic place. And facing the sea is a nice thing. I am very touched by your post :(
    DenisesPlanet.com

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  2. We got our first snow today. I've never been to a cemetery while it was snowing. We rarely get it here and the roads almost shutdown. My father is buried at one a little faraway and I haven't been in years.

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    1. Yey for the first snow, it's every year a magical moment when that happens. I'm so sorry to hear about your father, my deepest condolences!

      xxx
      E

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  3. I feel the same, though their soul isn't there and they live forever in our hearts, it's nice to have a symbolic location in which to visit them. This was a lovely read.

    xo
    www.carinavardie.com

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@elisabeth.rundlof