page-13-altered book
The chosen words are: –
‘He listened to his father breathing’
‘And made plans for that lonliness’

The Egytians made plans for their death. They left nothing to chance. Sometimes a whole lifetime was dedicated to their own rememberence: Egypt is full of these reminders.
- page13-skeleton detail
Memento Mori: this means ‘Remember you will die’ or ‘Be mindful of death‘. The symbols associated with this reminder of mortality are skulls, clocks, hourglasses, flowers. Sometimes wine, books, musical instruments. served as ‘vanities’, a reminder of worldly pleasures.
‘and made plans for that loneliness’
What does this mean though? Does it mean coming to terms with eventual death? It could mean a physical reminder that lives on when we are no more. Surely we live on in the hearts of people who love us? Why would we need a tangible reminder?
Sometimes a place or a memorial can act as a focus. Like a gravestone, a grave, somewhere we can feel close to the person, as well as a written reminder for others, that our loved ones existed: a way of them living forever: enjoying everlasting life. On a large scale, the Taj Mahal, India reminds the world of the undying love of Shahjahan and his beautiful queen Mumtaz.
- taj mahal
One of the Ancient Wonders of the Old World was The Mausoleum of Helicarnassus, Bodrum Turkey. It started out as a memorial for the Persian King Mausolus, by his wife/sister Artimisia. But when she died, became a mixture of all different styles as artist continued with their own ideas.
- mausoleum-bodrum-halicarnassus turkey
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