Saying Goodbye

Today we buried an old friend. Such things are always rather somber, no matter how much we try to look forward in hope and faith and at the same time remember things well. Still, the service was beautiful, and, we hope, that comfort was with the family. There was a bit of grumbling about the propriety of the situation as a whole. We won't go into the details; they are not important. We will not even deign to judge the issues in question; they are likewise superfluous. We will even go so far as to say that some criticisms may be justified, yet we wonder whether the best attitude on days and times like these are compassion and empathy. What we had was a family in grief. There were friends to comfort them. The best thing to do is to set aside uncomfortable questions no matter legitimate, and be friends. Give the benefit of the doubt. There were many there in grief; we should answer with consolation, not judgment. They were praying the best they knew, praying for a lost loved one; our duty is to pray with them. We are not responsible for their sins; we are responsible for ourselves as friends. It is not a time to ask questions which are ultimately not ours to ask anyway. It is only a time to remember a friend on the next journey of their lives, and to offer them Godspeed. Godspeed, my friend.