This childs grave marker is so poignant - more than usual.

[BlueandPinkSwan]

I came across this photo of this 10 year old lads grave marker and it reduced me to tears.
All markers are sad but this one is something very special in my mind, it is dedicated to a young lad named Matthew Stanford Robison in Salt Lake City.
R.I.P Matthew

I think it's hideous (and marvel at the expense).

Any child's grave is moving, simply by virtue of their age.

It's absolutely hideous. Laughable and mawkish at the same time.

Just because some random is dead doesn't mean you have to love the mawkish, overblown imposition on show by the living does it?

Have you bothered to look up the story of the kid yet? Not a special enough person?

I fully agree and I love your daughter’s attitude! I’m a wheelchair user and it’s an extension of my body. To your little girl seeing someone take it away is like a bit of her falling off. I’m sure you’re aware, but as she gets older, don’t let people “helpfully” touch her chair. It makes me cringe as it’s akin to someone touching my body.

@Mischance That is a beautiful inscription.

You’re really not as funny as you seem to think you are.

Stay away from Irish graveyards then 😁

Why? The death of a child doesn’t delete your aesthetic taste 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m also a wheelchair user and I find it mawkish. But, if it brings comfort to the family who is anyone to judge?

I think it would get vandalised if it was in the UK.

I too saw it as the child having freedom now and think it is beautiful.

I don’t suppose the grieving family give a toss about the aesthetic tastes of strangers. Rightly so.

🙄🤦🏼‍♀️ I’m also disabled and cringed when I read this. Don’t be ridiculous! It signifies the boy being taken up to heaven

@DisplayPurposesOnly@Gffbjjgfddbjkkm
How can you say that about a child’s grave? It was sculpted by his own dad and is used to raise money for the foundation he runs in his son’s name. They raise money to provide medical equipment for children.

I think there’s some abelist mental gymnastics going on there. The sculpture is entitled “set free from his earthly burdens” and it embodies an abelist narrative. Many abelds see a wheelchair as a burden which is something most wheelchair users will strongly disagree with. The boy’s father clearly saw the wheelchair as a burden, who knows if the boy did or not.

Anyone is free to display their grief in whatever way they feel honours their loved one, if some people feel moved by this, that’s fine too, but where disabled people are telling you there is a narrative here which doesn’t sit well with them, you should probably listen to them.

With respect, I’m more inclined to take account of the view and feelings of the actual family of the child who lived and understood him.

With respect, I’m more inclined to listen to the voices of disabled people who face daily ableism around the use of wheelchairs.

I texted the photo to my 16 year old daughter who is a wheelchair user and asked simply “thoughts?”

Her response was pretty unequivocal. I’ll add a pic.

As I said, it’s fine for a family to do whatever for their own loved one. But it is also fine for disabled people to point out abelism where it exists.

Sure but it’s the child’s family who are the important ones in this individual instance so nobody else’s business what memorial they chose.

Which I have said several times. The family can choose what they want. Doesn’t mean it isn’t steeped in abelism as many disabled people (including my daughter) will attest to.