AMHERST – Three months after wasting his father on COVID-19, Terra Cunha will pay homage to his memory by adding his call to a monument in an Amherst community.
“It is wonderful that others are looking to find tactics to honor the deceased,” says Cunha, an Amherst resident who, due to pandemic restrictions, has not been able to meet with her circle of relatives for a memorial service by her father. Father, José Luiz Terra. Cunha. Died in Brazil on June 10.
“I think he would be pleased to know that other people took the time to honor him and other victims who have not been identified by the US government or the Brazilian government,” Cunha said.
The memorial, created through the citizens of Maplewood Drive and Maplewood Circle, is open to those seeking to meditate on the lives of those enjoyed lost by COVID-19.
‘Contemplating COVID: Naming the Lost’ is an act of mourning for those who have suffered non-public losses due to COVID-19 or similar causes, said Deb Gorlin, who presented the monument as a component of a national network.
“I think other people like and move through it,” Gorlin said.
So far, the monument, erected in a well-shaded spot in the quiet neighborhood, is made up of the names of the deceased written on square pieces and white heart-shaped muslin, which are then tied, with small clothespins, along colored strips. cloth with rope stretched between the trees.
Gorlin has teamed up with neighbors Ruth Levine and Margaret Burggren to create the area that begins with a short stone-lined path that leads to two rustic benches. There, visitors are greeted by a small sign that explains that people, after disinfecting their hands, can grab a piece of muslin, tie it to a tree through a cloth, and write the names of the deceased or of the mind. at. magic markers kept in some other cloth pocket.
Guests are also invited to bring drawings, photos, flowers, stones and other items to place in the interactive monument, where an Arcosanti bell, from an experimental network in Arizona, sounds very easily.
Gorlin said she was encouraged through a friend from school, now a folklorist living in New York City, who posted about the assignment on Facebook. Known as the Labor of Mourning, the assignment will be a way of calling out and honoring the approximately 200,000 American citizens and others around the world who have died since the start of the pandemic.
“I think it was anything we could do,” Gorlin said, adding that although COVID-19 has impacted everyone, she was not personally affected by anyone who has died or struggled with an illness. “There is a sense of helplessness and helplessness at what is happening. “
Burggren said that giving other people the option to write the names of others who have died from COVID-19 feels true to her, and she hopes others will feel the same. “We think it will be something special for them,” Burggren said.
Levine said that the concept of winding ropes can be a universal word to remember those who have passed away. “I think of it as a contemplative space,” Levine said.
The assignment has been broadcast on the online organization Nextdoor, as well as on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. While it was originally intended to be dismantled after Friday, neighbors can leave the monument for another week so more people have a chance to venture onto the site.
Although the monument is short-lived, Gorlin believes it will be significant for all who attend.
“The concept is to commemorate other people who would not be commemorated in a different way,” Gorlin said. “The hope is that other people can contemplate here. “