The wake is on Wednesday, with the funeral scheduled for 11 o’clock Thursday morning. Danny and I don’t understand why we have to have a wake and a funeral. Mom tries to explain.
“They’re different. A wake is a chance for people to view the body one last time and pay their respects, while the funeral is a religious ceremony to speak about dad’s life and his journey to the afterlife.”
“I don’t want to see the body. That’s so weird. It’s kinda barbaric. I’d rather remember Dad when he was alive,” I say.
“I can understand that, honey,” Mom says. “But others feel differently. They find comfort in saying goodbye face to face and even touching …” She catches herself before saying “the body” and instead ends her sentence with “Dad.”
Even though I try to divert my eyes from the casket at the w
