I’ve been to far too many funerals over the years for my liking. I had debated the purpose of them for some time, and I feel I’ve finally come to a solid conclusion over the significance of them. It’s generally said that they are meant as a way to honour those who have passed on, and I think that is true, but it just needs to be defined more clearly.
I was thinking about this topic aggressively during the trip up to Hearst in February when we buried my grandfather Ernest Veilleux in February. I had the personal honour of being a pall bearer at the funeral, and that helped me to understand the reasons for funerals. Like most relationships, personal connections, or cases involving love, it all comes down to sacrifice.
We sacrifice our time by interrupting our lives, in a dedication to their honour, as a way of saying that the day-to-day activities we engage in are not of more importance than the person we have lost.
Simply put, they are a tribute to the life of somebody who has had an impact on our lives. It is more important that we carry on the positive legacy of the deceased.