April: North to Alaska

We made an impromptu trip to the village in April to attend a funeral of a very dear friend.  I don't want to go into a lot of specifics out of respect for our friend and his family, but do have to say that he is and will continue to be dearly missed.  He was one of the most giving people I've ever met and know that I am a better person for having known him.

This was the first funeral we attended in the village and they are carried out quite differently than in Missouri.  I usually avoid funerals and visitations as much as possible here at home.  There's just something I can't quite figure out about the process that feels impersonal.  That is not the case in the village.  There is a lot of attention to detail and everything seems focused on remembering the lost loved one and truly celebrating his or her life.  It is a beautiful thing.  There is no funeral home in the village so preparations for burial must take place in another town.  When the person is brought back to the village everyone is waiting for them at the airport.  The pall bearers have a bit more to do in the village as they help take the casket to the their home where the visitation takes place, then take them to the church, and then to the cemetery.  Individuals take turns reading the psalms over the loved one, even through the night so that they are never left alone.  I think that is part of what is so touching about their funeral process - the attention and care given to the person who has passed away.  It seems like everything that is done is done with love.  There are several things that could be done more conveniently, but they want to do everything themselves as a way of taking care of their loved one.  They have the equipment to dig the grave, but instead they choose to dig and bury by hand.  The funeral dinner is a community gathering for everyone to share stories and remember.  While they often make jokes about the village's concept of time being a little different from the rest of the world's I think that is definitely a good thing in this case.  Rather than focusing on what really matters, we get caught up in our schedules and to-do lists.  Some things are definitely more important than to-do lists.