Since returning from the recent funeral of my beloved Aunt Sarah, I have been thinking a lot about funerals and family reunions. For all practical purposes funerals are held to pay respect, to remember, and to give a formal send-off to a loved one. Some families arrange the service to be a vibrant, joyful home-going, while others acknowledge the occassion with a solumn, low-keyed ceremony. Nevertheless, I don’t know a soul who enjoys attending funerals.
In spite of the undesirable circumstances, a funeral creates an opportunity for extended family members, who might not otherwise see each other, to get together. In some ways it is a spontaneous family reunion. Families that live far away from the funeral site fly in or drive long distances to get to there. Then, they stay only long enough to attend the service and depart as quickly as they arrived. Consequently, the short trip leaves little time for socializing. And invariably before the groups of mourners disperse, someone can be heard telling others,
