The View from Oakland Cemetery

View of Atlanta from Oakland Cemetery, taken in Spring 2020

This is one of my favorite photos from 2020 because of the emotions tied to it. I had been feeling frustrated, tired, and sad because of the pandemic, and was really missing all of my friends. As a highly empathic extrovert, the energy of others fills me up emotionally. Not being able to be around my loved ones was very difficult for me.

I reached out to a close friend of mine and was describing my frustrations. He suggested we grab some burgers and go to one of his favorite outdoor places, Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery. We could hang out and still be safely distanced.

It was a perfect spring day and the first chance I had in weeks to feel less stressed and happier. Some may find it strange, but I have always found cemeteries to be a very peaceful and relaxing place to sit and read, meditate, or walk around. Oakland is the best cemetery to do this.

Oakland is special, it historically has been used as a park and visitors are encouraged to respectfully use it as such. You will see people playing in the fields, walking or running, etc.

I sat and watched the bees working on pollinating the flowers around us and felt at peace. Now more than ever, the best thing we can do is to be there for our loved ones, because they will be there for us when we need it.

There is so much out of our control, but we can control what we focus on and what emotions we put out into the world. Caring for ourselves, friends and family is most important.