So I took a walk in the woods.  No plans, no preconceived images, no time table.  A typical trek with hopes of ending with at least one good image.  “Artesian” was a new trail for me.  And its name would suggest a natural spring would be encountered.  The trail was swampy and in disarray from the recent storms.  There were no foot prints, except mine and the deer.

The trail forked and circumnavigated around a nearly perfect circular pond.  The man-made structure was overgrown and returning to nature.  If this was the spring, it had not been drunk by humans in a long, long time.

Of all the things I expected to see, a park bench was not one of them.  Set-back, shrouded by palmettos and oak limbs, the bench sat alone.  It was placarded with the words “Peggy D Williamson, December 19, 1931 - May 9, 2012, Love Conquers All.”

My first thought was…”who would put a memorial out in the middle of an overgrown swamp?  The only people that will see it are people like me.”  And there aren’t many like “me” in the world.

I swept the dirt and debris from the bench, removed the hanging moss and sat down for a spell.  Other than the wind through the palmettos, it was quiet and peaceful.   Peggy must have wanted to be remembered for a place she loved dearly.  A place she felt comfortable and a place she cherished.  And every once in a while, a tired passerby could rest and gaze upon her view.

Quite frankly it really makes sense.  Do you want to be remembered by someone standing over you in a parking lot of head stones, or by sharing a precious vision (as remote as it may be) with another understanding human.

Peggy, I didn’t know you, but Thank You for sharing…and you are correct.  Love does Conquer All.

Here I share four images, three of Peggy’s bench and one of her vision…maybe!