What Might Have Been

Hey y'all

I'm lucky enough to live in a gorgeous place and one of the gems of Lexington is The Lexington Cemetery. It's serene and beautiful and I've become fascinated with taking photographs there.

The ruined beauty of some of the monuments draws me in immediately but I also look at the inscriptions and epitaphs because, once upon a time, we as a people would express ourselves so well in the written word.

This is not really a monument to D. Frederick and Julia Amelia Wolf. Yes their names are inscribed here and they undoubtedly erected this memorial. However I do not believe they intended to make it about themselves. For D. Frederick, born in 1832, and Julia Amelia, born in 1833, did not engrave their names on the front of this marker. Their names are on the back of this four sided granite remembrance.

This memorial is for their children.

Charles Edward, born when Julia was 23, D. Frederick 22

William Frederick, born when Julia was 25, D. Frederick 24

Ella Sophia, born when Julia was 29, D. Frederick, 28

and

Elsa Louise, born when Julia was 39, D. Frederick 38.

The epitaph inscribed on the front reads----"Of all sad words of tongue or pen the saddest are these: it might have been." This is a quote from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Maud Muller" although it is not credited there.

Elsa was only 4 years old when the oldest child died--her parents only 43 and 42 respectively. Within 5 years her two other siblings were dead. I can only surmise that this memorial was erected by the Wolfs between 1881 and 1886 since Elsa is not on the front with the others but is alone on the left side.

D. Frederick lived only ten years more.

But Julia outlived her youngest child by 31 years.

When I come here to photograph her, for I firmly believe it is Julia who stands here with laurel wreath in hand, I wonder if she stood where I now stand and thought about what 'might have been' for her and for her children. I wonder if the words of their epitaph were chosen by her or by D. Frederick.

Did she relish every second she spent with her children when they were here or did she live the rest of her days wearing the 'weeds' of 'might have been'?




I like to think she lived her life, remembering but also being in the present. It's poignant and intriguing and I wonder about her as I capture the beauty that remains.







Smooches and gropes babies.