I got to be a pall-bearer at the funeral, which meant something different than I was expecting. I think, traditionally, pall-bearers actually carried the casket in the procession. But we did not. The funeral home people had it on this weird wheelie thing, and steered and pushed from front and back, while three of us on each side rested one hand on top of the casket as we brought it to and from the altar.

I was glad to do that, you know, to be able to sort of physically partake in sending him off on his final voyage, but it would have been undoubtedly more satisfying to actually have to carry the casket, even if it was really heavy.

It was a cool coffen. Mostly pretty plain, except for these cool metal reliefs of the last supper on the sides where the holder thing connected to the box.

I want to learn more about the traditional Catholic death rites. Cause I feel like we got served a really diluted version of them. My sister Rachel (married to Paul, teaches middle school) were talking after about how it seems like most of these people are just practicing rituals that they don’t even really understand or care why or what they mean anymore. That was depressing to me.

During the mass, they covered the coffin with a pall, some kind of cloth. we took it off on the way out the door to the church, and then draped the American flag over his coffin, cause he was a veteran. I had mixed feelings about this overall.