Today I left at 9:45 to go to a funeral that didn't start till 10:30 because we knew it was going to be packed. I live in a small community and this was for a 17 yr old girl that was in my sons grade at his school. It was standing room only. We left the church at 11:45 and couldn't even go to the grave side service because we had to head directly to another funeral for a 15 yr old girl, also from our small community but this one happened to also be a distant cousin and I'd been very close with her father & his brothers & sister when we were growing up. Hers didn't start till one and we were at the church by noon. By 12:30 it was pretty much standing room only. We did go to the grave side service for her funeral. They had a white casket and handed out permanent markers after the sermon so people could sign her casket before they committed her to the earth.
Terribly terribly sad .. and oh so draining.
