Hearing the dirt hit the coffin, the hollow thump? Worked just as well, and just as chillingly. I was not expecting that.

In a fully strict religious Jewish funeral, unless there's something to prevent it, there is no casket. OK, I'm whitefonting now. It's difficult for me to type, so not everybody should be exposed to reading this: The body is wrapped in a simple white fabric. It looks so small, there's nothing that delivers so pointedly, to me, the extent of the fragility of the flesh, the weakness, and the this-can't-be-all-there-is aspects of life and death. It's never not-chilling, it never fails to make me wonder how small the physical form of the person is, no matter how big and important their life was.

Also, we hardly ever put flowers on tombstones. Usually, we lay small stones there.

Ack! That would have laid me low, Nilly. I'm sorry to make you type difficult things, but glad to have the information.

I'm sorry to make you type difficult things, but glad to have the information.

No, it's OK. It's difficult for me because of *me*, you know? Especially after a day like yesterday, which was all about the spiritual (with the fast as a way to try and be less about the physical), it's a not-so-easy reminder. I guess I'm still in a bit of "thinking seriously about the Big Stuff" sort of mood.

Wow. That's kind of incredible. I mean in the good way, not the I-don't-believe-it way. I feel like the best thing end-of-life rituals can do is make you focus on the life lived, not on the trappings.

Nilly! Hi! Did you see the Matilda (and Emmett) pictures in Beep me?

I know MM wants "God's Comic" by Elvis Costello played at his funeral. I do too, but recently there have been other songs I wanted more.

Unfortunately, I just can't remember what songs they are at the moment, as I've had only about three hours of fitfull sleep.

Jesse, exactly.

Lee! Oh, yes, of course! Thank you! How wonderful of you to ask, too!

They were absolutely adorable, both of them. The expression on Emmett's face, and that little bundle, and - oh, thank you so much for sharing those.

I don't want a funeral. I want to be cremated and then I want an Irish Wake. Music and drinking and stories.

Wow. A Times reporter was in the private jet that was hit by a 747 (which crashed) over Brazil: [link]

You can have a funeral (or at least a viewing) and still be creamated, Aims.