Skip to content

Cemetery Quote by John Scalzi

“For as much as I hate the cemetery, IŌĆÖve been grateful itŌĆÖs here, too. I miss my wife. ItŌĆÖs easier to miss her at a cemetery, where sheŌĆÖs never been anything but dead, than to miss her in all the places where she was alive.” quote by John Scalzi
Download Open image
““For as much as I hate the cemetery, IŌĆÖve been grateful itŌĆÖs here, too. I miss my wife. ItŌĆÖs easier to miss her at a cemetery, where sheŌĆÖs never been anything but dead, than to miss her in all the places where she was alive.””

John Scalzi

About This Quote

Source Novel: Old Man’s War, 2007

The narrator finds a paradoxical gratitude for cemeteries, as they provide a clear place to mourn a loved one, unlike the complex memories of life.

In simple terms: I’m grateful cemeteries help me miss my wife more clearly than life’s memories.

Key Takeaway

Allow grief to have a dedicated space.

Themes

grief memory acceptance

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • visiting graves
  • writing memoirs
  • memorial services
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

death love nostalgia

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the cemetery symbolize for you?
  • How can you honor her memory beyond the grave?
A Different Perspective

Cemeteries may also remind us of mortality.

4.0 out of 5 (5 ratings)

More by John Scalzi

Explore all 187 John Scalzi quotes

More Cemetery quotes

Browse all 309 Cemetery quotes