Passing time..

I went to the funeral home last night, the brother of my childhood best friend died of leukemia. I don't remember much about the brother, he was younger than us, just a bratty little brother at the time. He was just 42 when he died, leaving beautiful children and one small grandson. The sadness and pain and loss were of course very visible and palpable in the room, but as it seems to be the case with funeral visits, there is an up-side, the joy in reunion of family members coming together. By the end of the evening, the tears had eased some and stories of past times were circulating. I used to question the reasoning behind the funeral ritual, but as I grew older, I discovered the comfort for the living in coming together as an extended family one more time, sharing memories, and taking away the consolation of knowing that family will always be there when you need them.