When my grandma on my mother's side passed away, I was a little weary about going to her funeral. I hadn't been to many in my life time, and they always made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
I still had to go though, and so I made sure to put on my best dress, so as not to upset my mom anymore than she probably already was. And when I got there I noticed that the sign out front of the funeral home said that my grandma's ceremony was to be an 'Open Casket'.
I knew what that meant, and I could help but find myself wandering up to the casket the moment I got in, curious to see how she looked. It was easy to pretend that I was just up there to say my last few goodbyes to her, but I was really admiring how pretty she looked in her Sunday dress with a slight grin on her lips.