Funeral's

I took Alexia and Lacey to the funeral of Wanda Harris.  I was her visiting teacher for a while when they were in our ward and we became close friends with her only grandson, Nate Rasmussen, and his wife Brooke.  Nate and Brooke moved to Oregon about the same time that our ward was split and we were no longer in the same ward as the Harris's.  We have gone to visit Brooke and Nate once in Oregon and keep telling the kids we will go back and visit them again.  They have had to come back to Idaho four times for funerals!  Wanda's husband, Bud passed away in January and Brooke and Nate told us how sad they were that hardly anyone came to his funeral.  Wanda's funeral was on Saturday, so I decided ahead of time that I needed to go.  Kelly and Tyler were gone with the Teacher's and Priest to float Hoback Junction.
I didn't want to go through the line for the viewing so I just took the girls into the chapel and sat down to wait.  I didn't give it much thought that this was the first funeral the girls had ever been to.  About half way through the talks, Lacey turned to me and asked,"Mom, what is that long box up there?"  I just turned to her and told her it was the casket.  Then after a few more minutes she asked, "Is she in there?"  I told her "Yes" and didn't say much more. (I had been crying and continued to cry through the whole thing).  As I have thought about this over the last few days, I am glad I took them to a funeral of someone they weren't really connected to before they have to attend a funeral of a loved family member.  I know it is only a matter of time now before we will be having one of our own.  I know I have more explaining to do, but it helps just a little bit, knowing they kind of know what to expect. 
I hate funerals!  I was crying harder than the family members were and ended up with a headache because of it.  I guess I have been given the gift of being able to "mourn with those who mourn".