Sunday, June 4, 2017

Funerals Of The Aged

Recently I put up a photo here of an elder who died, on wife E's side. He died a year after his wife died. Today, I am told, his funeral was very well attended. E made an interesting observation. The funeral of an elder is always very well attended. OBSERVATION: I have conducted many funerals, mostly of those of European stock. As people enter high old age in our culture, attendance at funerals becomes unpredictable. Many friends have died, newer friends tend not to belong to the older generations, illness and frailty have brought about increased isolation, families have migrated, and so on. In fact it comes as a surprise when a "European" funeral -- in the case of someone who was in high old age -- is a large one. Not so in our Black communities especially.

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