Two funerals

I have just been to my second funeral in 4 days.

February has not been a cheerful  month.

Last Friday was the funeral of the father of one of my friends at work.  Bob used to collect Pam from work every day and he chatted to us all in the car park, a friendly man who loved a chat.  He was 82 but died suddenly from a heart attack, which was a shock to the family.

The funeral was at the crematorium, and there was a good turn out, though there would have been more if the service had been in the local undertakers - the crematorium is a good half hour drive away, so not as many library staff as might have gone were able to go, but they were pleased to have so many of us make the effort.  It was short and simple.  The weather was cold, foggy, windy and grey.  All grey everywhere.  Really gloomy.

Today was the requiem mass for our parish priest.  He died very suddenly, and it has shocked the parish.  His official funeral is tomorrow in a much bigger church, so tonight was the mass for the parish.  It was standing room only, and the altar was heaving with priests. 

The difference between the simple but unstructured service and the much more formal mass was food for thought.  Having been brought up Catholic I feel much more comfortable with the formal structure of a requiem mass and find the crematorium service a bit laboured and lacking content.

It is a matter of what you are used to I suppose.

I also have two friends (not close ones, but still) who have cancers which are not responding to chemo.  That is worrying.

I shall be glad when February is over, and maybe the news will be better in March.