I suppose the whole windows to the soul/focus of expression and attention thing means they're more closely identified with the person than other parts.

I did have to talk Mom into allowing a viewing for the family since she didn't like the idea of being seen postmortem. I think it's very important for one's nearest and dearest to have that last look so they can get closure and understand on a visceral level that the person is gone. The viewings and open casket funerals we've had for other relatives have struck me as something that's necessary even if they weren't comforting.

I did have to talk Mom into allowing a viewing for the family since she didn't like the idea of being seen postmortem. I think it's very important for one's nearest and dearest to have that last look so they can get closure and understand on a visceral level that the person is gone. The viewings and open casket funerals we've had for other relatives have struck me as something that's necessary even if they weren't comforting.

I heartily disagree, and I plan on never attending a funeral for that reason. But different strokes for different folks.

I'd definitely allow people the option to see my corpse. I know it's made a tremendous difference to me. Some people grieve without that, some grieve with it. Just make sure it's opt in.

hmm... corpse at funerals tend to look so fake. I had to leave when I saw my friend B' father. he was a very male man - seeing him with make up - too funny in a nonfunny situation.

Open casket is customary in my family/regional culture, and I wish it wasn't. With distant relatives or family friends I've been able to duck the issue by staying in the outer rooms of the funeral home during the viewings, but there's just no way I could've avoided seeing my dad's or my grandparents' bodies, and I hate it. I already knew they were dead. I didn't need to see a waxen, lifeless shell to prove it to myself.

Thanks Nilly. Isaac is indeed three, and he's growing way to fast for my taste. But he's still my little boy.

I need to think through an AD at some point, but I haven't done so yet. My parents had a very specific AD written out. It helped a lot when it came time to make decisions for them.

I'm not really into postmortem viewings, but that's probably because it wasn't really done in my family. (One member viewed the body, but not everyone.) Funeral seems too public to me, not to say that it isn't an important part of the grieving, but it isn't a private moment.

Am moved in. Tired. Lots of odds and ends to toss into bags, then vacuuming, then getting it in here.

Holy crap I need an AC in the bedroom. I don't know how Colin did it.

Tired.

Congrats on the moving, Allyson!

Yay Allyson! Congrats on the move.

It was plenty warm here today: must have been stifling in LA. I wore a haltar-top dress to mass tonight, meaning to put a sweater over it, but it was too hot even for a light sweater! I suspect some people thought I was inappropriately dressed. Ah well.

Hooray for moving, Allyson!

I am donating my whole body to whoever wants it after I die. Hell, I am not gonna need it.