Our daily routine with the babies these days is to take a walk around Panorama with them around 4:00 PM. One walk we like to take is past Panorama's cemetery, which is basically on the other side of the town from where we live. Like most of aptly-named Panorama, it has a great view over Thessaloniki and the water.
Above is a photo of Rebecca with the babies at sunset today. You can't see much of the view, but you get the idea.
On Saturdays, our parish sends a priest to the cemetery for one hour in the afternoons to be available to read Trisagion prayers for the departed. The prayer is relatively short; it takes no more than 5 minutes to sing and read, but it is full of lovely prayers on behalf of the departed. The Greek people have a wonderful connection to their family, which, due to their Christian consciousness, extends beyond physical death. At the cemetery I always see people coming to lovingly tend to their family's grave site and to offer prayers on behalf of their loved ones. Most people have these prayers read at least once a year on the anniversary of the loved ones' repose, but I know some people who come literally every week, for years and years, continually praying for their departed loved ones. How beautiful.
I go about one Saturday a month to do this, and today I was there when Pelagia, Rebecca, and the babies came by. You can see me in the distance in the photo below reading a Trisagion for a family for their departed father.
And while I'm posting, here are a couple good photos of the babies taken about two days ago. They are loving the Johnny Jump-Up seat, especially Benjamin. Below, Benjamin is jumping around in the seat, while Phoebe and Paul look on.
Below, now it's Phoebe's turn. Pelagia is holding Benjamin and Paul is hanging out on the floor in the background.
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