Four stages of life
Tombstone Design
I had the challenge of creating my own tombstone, which was a reflective exercise. At the time, I had recently lost my Popop. I was looking at old photos, birthday cards, and notes from him. Considering his passing and his own tombstone, I realized how memorials, grave stones, burials, and funerals, are more for the living than they are for the dead. They are a place for reflection, remembrance, and reverence.
After further exploration. I read Joseph Campell's Hero's Journey and was introduced to his Four Stages of Life. Call to adventure, tests, flight, and elixir. In this cycle, Campell explains how to live a fulfilled life through these steps. Thinking of my late Popop, I realized I
wanted my tombstone to demonstrate those four stages of my life. Hence the four stones,
positioned in a circle.
I also used the old notes and birthday cards for the form of my stones. I wanted them to be organic, and jagged, like an old torn note. This Tombstone is an everlasting reminder of what a life holds and to never forget the journey you took through it.
