A Beautiful Funeral

Photo Credit: Tom Marxchivist Flickr cc

Funerals are something no one, as a rule, wants to attend. It means that the deceased, who has been close to a number of people, is no longer with us. However, such a person, regardless of age, has usually experienced happy and adventurous moments along the way.

It has always been my opinion that a great deal of responsibility rests on the shoulders of the person or persons who are asked to stand up and say a few words regarding the deceased's life. It is their position to present some memories or adventures the deceased experienced during their time on earth, which are not depressing to the attendees.

I have been to many funerals and I think the most interesting one was provided for a deceased woman who belonged to an American Indian tribe. They presented a full Indian dance, filling the funeral home with authentic Indian music. This beautiful presentation had those in attendance clapping their hands and swaying to the music. Then one of the tribe got up and gave a talk about what Indians believe about life and death. Another got up and told how this member had fulfilled the creed of their tribe by following the traditions of doing good deeds for others.

To me, that is how funeral services should be. People should leave the service with a happy heart, not a sad one, knowing that the deceased person had overcome the obstacles of life and had followed a creed of being a friend to others, while enjoying the time he or she had on earth.

People go to funerals with sadness in their hearts, thinking about the loss of a good friend or family member. After attending the Indian service, I have come to believe that we are all placed on earth for a purpose and when that purpose has been completed, it is time to advance to the next level of our existence. The purpose of a funeral should not be one of sadness but joy that tell how the person provided love and happiness for others during their life experience.

Funeral Fund