Graig Frantz was the love of my life.  His leaving has affected me immeasurably, as it has all of his family and friends.

In the spring of 2007, a few months after his death, I came up with an idea to memorialize Graig and pay tribute to him.  It combines our dedication to our gardens, our love of rocks and fossils, and my need to use art to work through my grief.

I began to build a labyrinth in our yard.  What is a labyrinth?  It is like a maze, but it isn’t intended to confuse or trick.  It is a walking meditation device with a single winding path from the edge to the center.  Many cathedrals have labyrinths marked out in the marble or stone of  their floors; Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres outside of Paris is a famous example.

Graig’s labyrinth will be in the shape of a round G thirty two feet across.  The paths will be outlined with rocks and fossils, some of which come from simple rock-picking on our property and some from our many fossil field trips over the years.  The paths will be recycled rubber mulch, soft underfoot and resistant to weeds, bugs and decay.

Walkers will enter and wind back forth in the pattern of the G to the center, where they can rest on a large stone seat before they return on the same winding path to the entrance.

This website is the chronicle of the building of Graig’s labyrinth. It’s a big project, but it is important to me to have designed and to be building Graig’s labyrinth alone.  I invite you to visit this web site or our home periodically to see its progress.

I intentionally haven’t thought beyond building the labyrinth, but ideas for its future could include use by passers-by and church groups, addition of stones by friends and family and perhaps a ceremony at some appropriate time dedicating it to Graig’s memory.

If you have comments please email me at demaris@graigslabyrinth.com or write me by snail mail. I hope to have a guest book on the web site soon.

There is a huge hole in my life where Graig once was.  I hope this project will help me to gain peace and the confidence to face my future without him.

In hopes of brighter days,

Demaris