Life is often filled with horrible scenes that stagger the mind. I watched closely as a mother prepared to bury her son. The room adjacent to where he lay was filled with people. Most of them were visiting, almost with a sense of gaiety. You've seen this picture before.
People gather to give comfort, pay respect and lend their help.
We're all alike. Nobody knows what to say so you just stand there. You see people you haven't seen in years, conversation breaks out and you find it easier to visit and converse with all those who attend because you don't know what to say to those who are grieved. In the state room, the air was different. It was somber.