the "wake" tradition

my next blog will have pictures, i promise!

this past week, my grandpa passed away, and i was lucky to have a window between spraying and stripping to be able to take my family to his service near Chicago. he was 74 and had been in bad health for the last few years. while it was a dreary occasion, it was nice to be able to see family i rarely get to see - especially all in one place - as he had 8 kids, 20 grandkids, and 11 great-grandkids. the day before he passed away, he was given less than a year to live. so again, we were reminded that God's timing is different than the world's timing. something i read recently plainly described the importance of "being ready" by stating: if you're not ready to die, you're not ready to live. true, huh?

so anyway, despite all of that, i was surprised, to say the least, about how different the traditions are up there. you'd expect such differences in a different country, but not in a different state! when we flew in, we were taken straight to the funeral home because they were holding a "wake" service from 3 to 8. my first thought was, "5 hours? for visitation?" now let me just say, i'm not one to view a body. at all. mom tells me it's traditionally respectful to the family to do so, but i just don't really get it. here, when they open a casket before you leave a funeral service, i respectfully avoid it like the plague. come to find out, at these wake services, the body is propped up at about a 45 degree angle out of the casket, for five hours, in clear view of everyone who walks in the front door of the funeral home. the immediate family stays for the whole time, snacks are served, and friends come to view the body. it was really an eerie experience. when we went to the funeral service, it was the same way.. the casket at the front of the chapel, open, body completely visible to everyone seated. made me appreciate the traditions we have here, although i do completely respect the traditions of other places.