AFTER THE FUNERAL

I have thankfully only a limited experience of funerals, but from what I have seen so far, both in person and on the silver screen, they always take place in gloomy weather, or preferably even under pouring rain; and I had the impression that there was an unspoken agreement between the Good Lord and his finest creation, that when any of them would be laid to rest, He would make sure that their immediate surroundings would appear to be in mourning too.

Apparently, my deceased relative was not party to that agreement because, although it was raining heavily when my plane landed, on the day of the burial, the sky was crisp and blue, and there was not a cloud in sight. I might have wondered at this oversight of the Almighty - after all, He is supposed to be all-seeing and all-knowing - but I couldn't help thinking it was actually quite fitting. The point of funeral services is to assist mourners along in the grieving process, to help them express their pain so they can free themselves from it, or at least learn to deal with it. Whether it is the meeting of friends and family, sometimes not seen in a long time, whether it is the rituals of religions, most of which see death more as a change than as a conclusion, whether it is the common reminiscing over cherished or half-forgotten memories, everything that helps us make peace with our loss, accept it and look beyond the painful feelings, has to be welcome. And so, maybe, the sun finally emerging in a pristine sky after days of torrential rain can play a role too. At least, I think it did for me.

I'd like to be able to say that, thanks to all that, I am in just as good a mood as I was before learning of my bereavement. But today, it was pouring again, there was not one parking place left at the gym, and someone stole my towel at the swimming pool. Barack has let us down already!