My experiences around the care of the dead are limited, however ; one moment that stands out in my mind when thinking about this topic is, a funeral I attended as a young child. A very close family friend passed away from a heart attack and the funeral that was held for him was the first funeral I have ever attended. As a 5 year old child, my first thoughts were, Why is his body here for everyone to see? Why would anyone want to see him in this condition? It was a very confusing concept to me.
It was from this memory that I made a significant observation. During his death, my entire family lied to me and said that he died from being burnt while cooking, as if to cover up the truth about dying. The entire subject of caring for the dead seems to be something too "sacred" for just anyone to be aware of. It is kept isolated from normal society. As a 5 year old child it was kept a secret from me, and even now as a 17 year old young adult, I know little about the process after a person has died. I hope from discovering more during this unit that I gain more insight and learn more about the care of the dead.
No comments:
Post a Comment