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How often do you visit the gravesite of a loved one?

Asked by rojo (24179points) December 29th, 2014

inspired by a previous question.

My mother remembers, as a kid, visiting the grave of her father on an almost weekly basis. The family would go out to the cemetery and clean up the grave, straighten up stones, pick weeds, replace flowers, etc. usually on the Sunday after church.
She says that it was a very common practice where and when she grew up (Liverpool, 1930 – 40’s) with many, if not most families doing it. After she moved to the US she would make a point of going to the grave site every time she made it back to England.
My brother and I visit my fathers grave once or twice a year, whenever we get to town. My sister who lives nearby is out there every couple of months.
Many of the graves, even those less than ten years old, never seem to have any flowers or signs of care being afforded them other than the mowing that the cemetery does.
How often do you visit? Do you recall your own parents going more often? Does is bother you to go? Do you feel a sense of obligation; something that “has” to be done? Is it a sad occasion or do you gain a measure of peace?

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