Just Set in Their Ways

making excuses for the inexcusable

This past week I had the difficult task of attending a funeral, which brought together a conglomerate of people.

There were the family, ex-family, married-in family, and a few spare part-people who were there out of the goodness of their hearts or to service the family with food and comfort, and those of us that seemed to know a few of each of these groups of people.

A week before the funeral a family member, of the married-in sort called me, very upset that at the hateful comments she’d been subjected to by an older family member regarding whether she was “A Mexican.” She’s actually of Cherokee descent, but you know with all that black hair and dark eyes — who can tell right? (Sarcasm intended.)

Regardless of her descent — who asked for approval?

Kindness while standing around in a bereavement situation would be fairly expected, I would think. But families, being the imperfect structures that they may be, can bring together all the “lovely bunches of coconuts,” as the saying goes.