My first funeral

Death is something foreign to me. I've never had anyone close to me die, except one of my adopted grandfathers, but even then I was young and don't remember feeling that affected (and I caught the flu the night before so I wasn't able to attend the funeral). So I've never gotten to experience that kind of mourning and therefore have always been a bit afraid of funerals and death. But I know it's something I'll have to deal with sooner or later.

Three of my volleyball friends lost their father this week, so some of us players went to the funeral to support the brothers. I felt a little awkward at first, feeling out of place not only because it was my first time, but because my first time was going to be in another country. So many thoughts went through my head: "Am I dressed appropriately? I'm the only white person here. Can I talk to my friends during the wake? Where should I stand at the cemetery? Why are people walking over other graves? I don't know the words to this song. How can those gravediggers act so casual? Why am I crying...I never even knew this man." So many emotions flooded over me, putting myself in the shoes of someone burying a loved one.

Funerals can really wake you up...even the funeral of a stranger. It reminded me to not take life for granted. To be more vocal with the people I care about. To treasure each moment I have with friends and family.

In the end, I realized that funerals aren't all that scary. I know it's not going to be that easy when I lose someone close to me, but I feel slightly better prepared for it now. My favorite part was afterward, how the family and some close friends went back to the house to eat, drink, and play draft (their version of the game Checkers). It was encouraging to see that mourning didn't have to crying and wailing, but spending your time in community. Some people refer to funerals as a Celebration of Life and I like that. Because we'll all die someday, but we should be happy for every minute we get to spend with the people we love and how they've touched us.