Funerals and Families

It was a good funeral, as funerals go. It wasn't over-the-top on emotion or wordyness. It had the right balance of public and private ceremony. And it brought together family that has never been together.

My grandpa hadn't yet met one of my brother's wives, or the other two great-grandchildren. My dad's brother hadn't met my grandpa or some of the other family. We saw folk who "came out of the woodwork", whom we haven't seen for years.

And after the morning's programme, close family gathered for lunch out. It gave us a chance to chat, laugh, talk, get to know each other again.

Out of the whole event has come not only a sense of release, but also promises to keep in contact, plans to meet up next weekend, email addresses exchanged, and help with yet another family funeral (my uncle's wife's dad - who died in the early hours of the new year from cancer).

It's been good, for a funeral.


(Dad, waiting with the box containing my mom's remains, at the gate to the graveyard. It struck me how all alone he looked...)