Higglety-pigglety (and will we know anyone there?)
That’s probably how this post will be. Why? Well, because I went to my friend Sari’s funeral today. I got to know her when our kids were in middle/high school. Little Cat Z was pretty good friends with two of her daughters and I think they were in the same alternative middle school advisory. Was it called an advisory? I think so.
Around that time, I was HONORED to be invited to meet up with some of the other middle school moms and Sari was one of them, as well as Marci, for coffee/breakfast at Cafe Zola downtown. As time went on and kids got older, our group eroded as a lot of the moms went back to work. Including me eventually although my bosses the LSCHP and then Amazon Woman always encouraged me (and others) to keep up with non-work friendships and family. Always family. But Sari and Marci and I continued to meet all these years. We did change locations to Barry Bagels and then zoom (because covid).
So this funeral was at a synagogue. Will we know anyone there? I am a Celtic pagan type person but I grew up going to Sunday School so I can navigate mainstream protestant churches and even Catholic churches. Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak anyone? My husband’s childhood church. But I rarely go into religious establishments and haven’t for years. So I had a bit of social anxiety about going to a synagogue, even though I knew people would welcome me and of course they did. The GG was maybe one of the few men that didn’t have a yarmulke on but probably there were others. I don’t think anyone probably wore a Batman yarmulke like the LSCHP used to often wear at work.
Anyway we were walking in deciding where to sit and yo-ho-ho, there was Marci and her husband and their wonderful son and Marci said, “Do you want to sit with us?” Yes yes yes. Of course we do.
And the rest of it was what it was and after the pallbearers took the casket out (I didn’t even notice the casket and don’t think it was open, thank you very much) the rest of us were allowed to leave. We got in the car and LCZ asked who was hungry. I was. So we went to Casey’s Tavern.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:49 pm
It sounds like it went as well as you could have expected for a funeral. I would have been nervous too since I don’t know much (or anything?) about Jewish death ceremonies. I was reared an Episcopalian, and I often thought about how stressed uninitiated people must be at any of our services. Sit to listen, kneel to pray and stand to sing. It was good exercise!