Visit Mount Olivet Cemetery in Buffalo, NY and you will notice something different about it. There among the monuments and granite sculptures is a piece of art not found in any other cemetery. A large chalkboard invites visitors to write down their answer to this statement: Before I Die I want to ________. These boards are a way to celebrate all that life can offer and remind people that cemeteries are for the living. They also give people pause to consider what they most want to do with the time they have left.
Artist Candy Chang created the first wall on an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighborhood. After losing someone she loved deeply, she wanted to connect with her neighbors in a meaningful way and to help regain perspective as she grieved. Inspired by what others wrote, she posted photos of her wall online and others asked if they too could create a wall in their own neighborhoods. This international art project has been installed in over 70 different countries, created in over 35 different languages with over 1,000 walls installed.
The response to the wall in the cemetery where I worked has been amazing. From the first day, the board has been filled with thoughts both deep, touching and funny. When someone writes something we deem inappropriate, we wipe away the chalk message leaving room for the next person. It does not happen often and most people embrace the essence of the project. Some of the things that people have written include:
Before I Die, I want to…
• Have a living child
• Make a difference
• Travel to Italy
• See the Cowboys win a Superbowl
• Reunite my divided family
• Find true love
• Ride in a helicopter
• Be happy
• Own a zebra and name it Blurryface!
Offering people a place to stop and give pause to what is on their personal bucket list is a perfect match for the funeral industry. While there have been a few people who find it inappropriate, the majority of responses have been positive. When reading the board, you feel like you are a part of a community where you know there are others around you that you just haven’t yet met. Somehow in reading their words, you feel a connection and hope that they fulfill their dream. Through this project, the cemetery has been on the front page of The Buffalo News, featured in local organizations newsletters and had a story on the 6 o’clock news. All of this publicity has raised awareness of the cemetery, our mission and the many programs that we offer. I even received a letter from someone serving time in prison who saw the newspaper article and reached out to me!
If you are interested in hosting your own board, visit www.BeforeIDie.cc. All of the instructions are there, as well as the contact information to request permission to take part in the project. Take care in selecting a site to place your board, as you don’t want it too close to where families gather for their funeral services. We selected an area close to the entrance, far away from our chapel so as not to upset anyone with a recent loss. With sensitivity, a good chalkboard eraser, a willingness to monitor your board and a way to drive traffic to your site, you may just find that someone in your community is full of dreams and goals to fulfill Before I Die…