We chose this question for our inaugural article because it is the one question most common among us. We could respond academically by talking about archaeological digs, old burial customs and pyramids. But, this is a singularly human question with its roots solidly planted in who we are as beings on this earth. Erma Bombeck captured some of it when she observed:
“The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.”
As a Funeral Director the answer to your question, Ella, is of daily importance to me. Not because it is the way I make my living but because it helps me remember the impact my profession has on society.
Yes, it is often sad; but just as often it is a sweet time of comfort, joy and even laughter. Funerals are places for husbands, wives, children, friends and sometimes a few strangers to share memories in the comfort of one another’s company. It is a place where young and old can discover one another. The older generation can recapture the nostalgia of time past and the younger generation can taste the future. It is:
- A family reunion
- A walk down memory lane
- A community gathering
- A museum of a time now immortal
A funeral is, in a large sense, a reaffirmation of our importance to each other. It is a time filled with goodwill, the inspiration of fond memories and the realization of hope for the world we have inherited. It enables those who unite here to embrace the gifts of others as part of our own future.
We don’t come together to forget…We come together so no one will be forgotten.
