Why We Don't Visit
At least, not as often as we'd like to
On a crisp spring morning, we were out at 7:00 AM, placing an AFTR test camera in South Bend, Indiana. We were working quietly when we saw an elderly gentleman approach a nearby headstone in his wheelchair. He must have been in his 80's. He sat by the resting place, head bowed. He reached over and placed a single pink peony on the top of the headstone. As we packed up to leave, he looked up at us and asked, "What do you have there?"
"Oh, this is a camera that we're testing out. When I leave, I'll be able to see and hear this resting place right on my phone," I answered.
"Huh. What an idea. You know, I only come here in good weather. It's too hard to get out over the snow otherwise."
"Who are you visiting?" I ventured.
"My wife - we were married for 65 years." He paused. "I could use one of those cameras. The days of winter would be shorter."
We hadn't expected to meet anyone that early in the morning, but I was glad we had. Unfortunately, it isn't just winter weather that keeps people away from their loved ones.
With families scattered across the country, and sometimes, all over the world, people make the cemetery part of a trip back home - but can't visit more often than that. It can be costly to get on a plane, train, or even drive hours away.
Even when loved ones rest nearby, life just gets in the way. Milestones and birthdays make us crave a connection with our family members or ancestors. Still, in busy times it can be hard to fit in a trip to the cemetery.
These are just some of the roadblocks that get between people and their dearly departed. Friends have even told me that they want their younger children to know the stories of their grandparents and other ancestors, but it's often impractical to organize a trip with toddlers. So the time keeps going by, and opportunities for connection slip away.
These reasons, and more, are why we created the AFTR camera and app. So much of our lives are on our phones already. The internet and smartphone apps have changed the way we do nearly everything in our day-to-day lives. Should something so important be any different? We hope we have made it a little easier for everyone who has lost someone.
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AFTR's cameras and app provide a way to virtually visit a loved one's resting place and stay connected forever.
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