When we launched the Tending app, my very first thought was deeply personal. I asked myself one simple question: who in my family is buried far away from me?
Almost immediately, one person came to mind — my grandfather's closest friend Anatoly, buried in Miami, Florida. His wife, my grandmother's sister, is still alive but can no longer travel.
Using my own service for the first time
I signed up for a subscription through the app. The cemetery required permission from next of kin, so I reached out to my cousin. Once approved, one of our contractors completed the work and I shared the before-and-after photos in our family group chat.
What surprised me
Everyone was shocked at the visible difference. Anatoly's wife was deeply moved. I realized: people don't ignore headstone care — they live far away, life gets busy, travel is hard. This kind of care becomes a gift of remembrance that cannot be replaced by money, objects, or words. This is why we built Tending.
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