funeral homes

I know this is a really odd topic, but funeral homes here are a whole lot fancier than the ones we had at home growing up. Sometimes I feel as if I'm in a musuem instead of a place for mourning. Almost every one in the state of NC has had some type of huge glass display full of small birds, and all of them have had display cases of some sort of collectibles, whether it be model cars, porcelain dolls, ceramics, or old drawings of the town - they all are showplaces.

This afternoon we went to a funeral home in a nearby town, and one whole section of the funeral home is a display case for the old funeral hearse. It's the wagon part of a buggy that was modified to carry a coffin. It was very ornate, even though it was wooden, and had the most intricate carvings on it. The furniture inside, like most places here, was very fancy, but it was very old antiques (like the couch my Grandma White had forever and a decade).

The thing that really cracked me up...they had a playground for kids back behind the building. I actually think that was a neat thing. So many times I've known family members who had to stay behind to watch everyone's kids when they really wanted to be with everyone else. As a child I remember my uncle walking us down to the nearby Dairy Queen for ice cream. It was a nice break from all the somber grown-ups who would pat you on the head as if you were about to break. With a playground outside, parents could take their kids outside for a few minutes, yet still be close by to the family.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to funeral homes having nice furniture and collectibles and their large, family portraits up on the walls. It just seems a little strange, even if it is cool to look at.