It was during a gathering that Karen (name changed) excitedly told me she had another story to tell me. She began by saying, “Even my husband said,  you have to tell Lee, you have to tell Lee!”  I laughed understanding  that it was one of ‘those stories’  having to do with the Workings of the Universe!

She continued, “But, first here is some background.  When I was in Hebrew School in third  grade and  asked to share the story of who I was named after,  I decided my story was a ‘stupid story!’   I was actually named after my great uncle Maurice  Kaman but my parents couldn’t find a name they liked that began with an “M. ”  They decided instead to give me a name that began with a “K” after my uncle’s last name.   (It is customary among many Jewish families that a baby is named after a deceased relative.)

My teacher insisted I should get the correct story from my parents as no one is named after a  ‘last name!’  I decided right then and there that although my story was true, it was a ‘stupid story!  I  never shared my ‘stupid story’ again and actually didn’t even remember it  until I was in the cemetery! ”

As Karen continued the  chills were very busy in my body. She had been on a trip with her son to tour  colleges and next on the itinerary was her hometown to visit the University of Rochester.  As they were driving  they came across a huge cemetery that Karen didn’t even know existed! Her son, always the explorer,  used his teen powers of persuasion to   convince his mother it would be a cool adventure it they drove through it.  And what an amazing adventure it turned out to be!

As they were driving her son called out, “Look, over there, a tombstone with our  family name! Maybe one of our relatives is buried there!”  Karen really didn’t want to stop and told her son it was very unlikely. But he was so excited she agreed to let him investigate.  (At this point in the story she paused to tell me, “You probably know where this  is going… “)

(Dear Reader, you probably know where the story is going now as well!)  As it turned out, the grave did belong to one of her relatives,  her  great uncle Maurice Kaman! The very same uncle Karen was named after!  It was actually a double grave he shared with his wife. Right next to it was a second grave belonging to Maurice’s sister,  Sally, and her husband.  Karen’s mother was named after Sally.

 The beautiful energy from Karen’s story was so strong at this point, that tears began to flow from my eyes.  She told me, “I guess the story of my name isn’t a stupid one, anymore!”  As I hugged her I answered, “The story of your name is such a Beautiful One that the universe wanted to make sure you realized it!”

Afterwards Karen and her son learned more about Mount Hope Cemetery which sits adjacent to the University of Rochester on 196 acres! Built in 1838 it is still  an active cemetery with over 350.000 graves and also functions as a public park and wildlife sanctuary.

As Karen continued to describe  her experience that day  I just continued to listen, once again in awe of how the universe brings us its messages of Love! 

What were the  chances that Karen and her son would stumble upon the cemetery, that her son would spot the tombstone while driving, that it could even be seen from the road! That these two graves would be the only ones in the cemetery belonging to her relatives. That the name of the cemetery would be Mount Hope…

 Karen told me later, “The cemetery has over 350.000 graves and 15 miles of roadway. I couldn’t have found someone if I were actually looking for them!…The thing I don’t have the words to convey is the massiveness and beauty of this cemetery,  like nothing I have ever seen. People were walking and   jogging and cycling through when we were there on a summer afternoon. It was such a juxtaposition of life,  of people exercising, birds chirping, chipmunks and gophers getting very close to us,  all within a cemetery!

 Thank you Universe for turning  a ‘stupid story’  into a Beautiful one! It certainly has turned out to be a Beautiful Story all around!