tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post3803453192492741807..comments2024-03-25T17:48:53.875-04:00Comments on Heissatopia: Family history festivalsAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14785629874138416100noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-67158573091875670252019-11-01T12:32:25.820-04:002019-11-01T12:32:25.820-04:00Thank you!Thank you!Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08631734965938273438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-18755489567997834042019-11-01T12:32:14.688-04:002019-11-01T12:32:14.688-04:00I don't think that I would give up mourning pr...I don't think that I would give up mourning privately, because that's certainly necessary as well, but I think public displays of grief might help our society to develop a healthier relationship with death. <br /><br />There are certainly some things that seem a bit much to me—such as sackcloth and ashes or famadihana (but that doesn't mean I couldn't get used to such ideas, I suppose)—and I prefer my grief to be quieter than that.<br /><br />In the Middle East women tend to wail while men carry the coffin through the streets—again a very public display of grief. Not that I want to wail or carry a coffin through the streets either. <br /><br />I just want our culture to somehow acknowledge death as inevitable (and as something that you have to deal with for your entire life), rather than sweeping it under the rug as we do. Like, "Are we still on this? Get over it!!" I'm not sure that the "get over it" attitude is helpful when dealing with grief because although the sadness diminishes it doesn't ever go away entirely (perhaps not sadness, but...the longing). <br /><br />But certainly mourning privately as well, as I'm sure they do in Japan, while publicly acknowledging a loss in a beautiful way, at least for me, would be nice.<br /><br />I think we try to do things like that in our culture—think releasing balloons on a death anniversary—but it's still individual (on the actual death anniversary) rather than a communal process. And I just think we need more sense of community in our country/culture...but that's just my opinion. ;)<br /><br />Thank you for remembering Karen with us!Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08631734965938273438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-58554992722527696262019-11-01T08:39:30.685-04:002019-11-01T08:39:30.685-04:00I thought of Karen when you shared Miriam's bi...I thought of Karen when you shared Miriam's birthday cake because I remember last year she made a really cool cake celebrating a few birthdays. And...she said how tiring it was and she'd never do that again. (something like that). Remembering that - then and now - saddens me.<br /><br />I wonder why our culture prefers we grieve privately. It's odd/interesting how cultures act and remember (or not) loved ones. In the Bible I read of tearing clothes and covering themselves in ashes. And didn't they have professional mourners sometimes? Western/northern European cultures (from what I know which is not much), by contrast, seem to be rather stoic by comparison. I actually prefer to grieve privately, but the communal grief might be...OK, I guess.<br /><br />Your family history holiday idea is interesting!Susannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03115294023069458287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-91723755419584460642019-11-01T00:03:58.476-04:002019-11-01T00:03:58.476-04:00I think those holidays are beautiful, too! I was c...I think those holidays are beautiful, too! I was certainly thinking about Karen today--a year ago, it was the Lore event on Halloween night, and Karen went even though she wasn't feeling well. And I got to spend Halloween with you and your kids. And I think you should not feel guilty at all about watching Coco and Kubo and talking about all the sad feelings and happy feelings associated with the loss of Karen that will definitely come to mind from those films.Myrnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450610418971329885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-86104492045205510762019-10-31T17:44:26.521-04:002019-10-31T17:44:26.521-04:00Consider this banging on drums and gongs and setti...Consider this banging on drums and gongs and setting off fireworksBruce Conradhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17411052629318414290noreply@blogger.com