A cemetery coincidence that feels like more than a coincidence
Yesterday was the interment for my husband’s aunt, who passed away last November. We had a Mass first, then drove in procession to the cemetery for the burial.
On the way to the church, my mother-in-law mentioned my brother. She was talking about how she hopes she passes before any of her children, and said something like, “You just never know. Look what happened to your brother.” My brother passed unexpectedly a little over a year ago, so he was already on my mind.
The Mass was lovely, and the priest happened to be the same one who presided over my husband’s great-uncle’s service about a month ago. That felt like a coincidence, though not totally unheard of since priests can serve different parishes.
Then, as we were getting closer to the cemetery, I said to my husband, “I think your aunt is going to be right near my brother.” He kind of dismissed it, which made sense. There are several cemeteries in town, and even if it was the same one, the odds of the plots being close seemed so small.
We entered through a part of the cemetery I didn’t recognize, so I figured he was probably right. But the procession kept going until we were basically right in front of my brother’s grave.
Long story short, my husband’s aunt and my brother are now afterlife neighbors.
I know some people would call it coincidence, but it felt like more than that to me. So many things had to line up for it to happen. I’m choosing to take it as a sign that my brother is still an active part of my life, and that he can still guide me and be close in ways I don’t fully understand.