Funeral

Simon and I went to the funeral of a mother of a friend of his who died in her 40's from breast cancer. The church was packed with kids from his school and they all crowded the aisles when the pastor called them forward to talk with them about the "valley of death." The kids were laughing and jostling each other, and happy to see their friends, but some of their faces were also stained with tears. It was a complex, bittersweet moment. Later, after cake and juice downstairs, and several games of tag, Simon and I talked about why funerals are also celebrations as well as moments of profound sadness. I told him I thought that when someone died it's obviously a sad time. But it's also a time to remember their life, and the good things they left behind, and the happy memories they've made. They probably wouldn't want you to be sad, either; they would want you to remember them with love, and be happy, and live with your life every day to the fullest, taking thoughts of them with you.

We can't help thinking of our own mortality at times like these, and hope that we have more than 40-some years on this earth. But if we don't, we can also hope that a roomful of children will come celebrate our life.