Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.

• Genesis 25:7-10

When your remains are buried in a National Cemetery, the usual wait period for a headstone is about 60 days.  My wife got her headstone in about thirty days.

I was surprised.  I had seen several spouses with the next grave site open for the surviving spouse.  I had just gotten the idea that the one who was buried first went into the next available spot and then the following spouse would go in the next.  In military fashion, all burials are left to right.  But they skipped a space for me and then put my wife’s ashes in the next spot.

Tradition has the husband on the left when facing the headstone(s).  I have read two different interpretations for that practice.  One is that the wife is always closest to her husband’s heart.  But another is that as the pastor is officiating the wedding, the husband is on the left.  But then, I heard the thing about being closest to the husband’s heart as being the reason for that tradition.

In the military, it was easier for the military officer to walk to the right of the wife.  That way when returning salutes, you have a free arm to swiftly return the salute.  This became a problem in a few respects.  I got in the practice of carrying multiple shopping bags in my left hand to keep the right arm free.  In some cases, my wife would be burdened with many shopping bags so that my right arm would be free.  It got to be ridiculous.

But then the classes we took on courtesy, chivalry, and being a gentleman said that the gentleman must always walk on the side closest to the street.  This gave the gentleman the opportunity to push his wife away from harm in case a travelling motorist veered from the highway.  So, then, the husband could be on the left or right depending on which direction down the sidewalk they were going.

But it was true with Abraham and Sarah, their remains were buried together.

Yet, our souls can only visit that spot if they ever had the desire to do so.  I personally have seen the spot.  I know what it looks like.  I would rather gaze into the eyes of Jesus and sit at His feet.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.