I went to a funeral today. No, not a funeral, I went to the service that takes place prior to the actual burial ceremony. It was for my friend's father-in-law, he was very old and had become quite ill. The family was very sad.
I must question this sadness. He was very old, very ill. Wouldn't the correct emotion be happiness? Isn't sadness selfish?
Yes, he will be missed by the ones that love him. Yes, the memories will eventually, one day become faint. But he lived a plentiful life. Isn't that a matter to be celebrated?
For one who has lost a daughter/son, sister/brother, wife/husband, friend who has left this realm at a young age, sadness seems appropriate. There's the question of how many wonderful things this person didn't get to live. But for someone who has completed a cycle?
White. Colorful. Not black.
*Currently listening to Hurricane Jane, Black Kids*
How To Develop Value-Based Spending Habits
1 year ago
white is a traditional asian color of a funeral. my mother in law was picked up by the government, burned and her ashes scattered. within 4 hours of her death.
ReplyDeletein a world of complete overpopulation, the sense of death and dying changes. no way to tell which way it will go.
then again. maybe we don't really care.
maybe death is abstracted from daily life and so the whole ritual is not about the person but about reconnecting with death as a part of their fabric of reality, and the loss they feel is the loss of connection to the ordinary, natural world.
who knows.