ON TOPIC funeral plans

In my grandmother's village it was the custom to sew a shirt in
whitework. This was done in one's good years, sometimes as part of
the dower, and was kept unworn until the time of the funeral. This
shirt's location and intended use were well known to all the family
members.

My grandmother was buried in her very favorite dress and I heard that
there was muttering because it had short sleeves. Fortunately, she
had also prepaid her casket and funeral costs, thus eliminating a
major dispute.

I think that funerals are for the living. I have been to some real
honest celebrations of the life that passed, with laughing among the
tears. I have also heard the other kind--the stress brings out the
very worst abuses imaginable. I actually had to sit through a
criticism of why I chose a career instead of children at my mother's
funeral, and all I could think of at that time was that God didn't
spend too much of His time in that particular church...

I am grateful that we can hear the stories of choices of music that we
would make. I truly think that we can take this chance to say "play
this" or "put this on my stone" or "use this dress/etc" because we
need to remember that we will all come to that place someday. We don't
any of us know what waits for us tomorrow...

Irene