Mourning

Our culture has, in many ways, lost its ability to mourn. Back in the day, when a loved one died, people would rip their clothes, and wail, pour ashes on their heads and walk around in junky old sack cloth. Everybody could see that something had gone very wrong in the world of those left behind. The pain on the inside was exposed on the outside.

These days, we take every precaution not to show too much emotion. We tell ourselves that our loved one would not want us to be sad. Sometimes we think we shouldn't even wear black to a funeral, because that would be too somber. Tranquilizers numb us so that our tears won't slip out and the grief is dulled. The pain on the inside is pushed down and out of sight.

I wonder about the complications of anguished hearts left in the dark.