When I was young, I have always fascinated in the change of mood in the houses where a death has happened. There will always be a 2-day window where everyone’s crying and lamenting and mourning. But from the third day, it will be lighter, there will be rings of laughter in the back of the house, giggles in the corner and more open discussions – which mortified me when I was a kid !
Aren’t we supposed to remain sad ? Someone’s dead for God’s Sake ! whose laughing in the middle of that ?!
But when you grow up, you realise that these laughter and giggles are because of the reminiscence and the memories. Also, because as adulting took place, I realised, we would do anything to go to the better, carefree days of the childhood – and a gathering is one such a doorway to the past. If the passed person is someone old, then the older the stories – the one of much simpler times, open verandah, jumping into rivers, going for nearby fairs, doing all kinds of knick-knacks, and running away from the elder ones – the list goes on. You get to see lots of pictures painted in fond love and adoration. And even, like in my cases, completely different faces of very strict personas when they were younger.
Agreed that laughter may sound weird in a house of death, but most of these stories will include the specific person who has passed. Some of the stories might still have a tinge of unhealed insult or an unforgotten ire – but most of the stories are filled with love, some of inspiration, some of courage and some of the events that changed the course of someone’s life – Colours of happiness; of peace; of better times.
And what better way to give a send off to a new world – with the unforgivable happiness that they gave you in this lifetime ?