I went to a friend's mother's memorial today. It wasn't a memorial in the traditional sense (whatever that means), it was simply a bunch of friends and family gathered at one of the son's home. There was a table there with momentos of the deceased, and a kitchen table with some food laid out. There was little discussion of the departed; no mention made of the death, no announcement, no maudlin speeches.
I felt sad for my friend, realizing that he was now an orphan. I still have both my parents, and can't imagine what it will be like when they're gone. I try to avoid thinking about such things, but realize that I will eventually be in the same situation someday (barring some unforseen disaster). No offense to the folks, but I don't want to go before they do.
I'm sure there's probably a sense of relief now that his mother has gone, but both he and his brother said that there's a big void in their lives. The best thing for them, they realized, is to focus on the good times they had together as a family. Thankfully, my friend got married about 5 years ago and had a son earlier this year. His brother has been married for quite a while and has two kids. Having a family to lean on must help during times like this.
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