I attended my good friends funeral today, I’ve been struggling with the importance of tradition, what is worth keeping and what isn’t? it’s been a day steeped in ritual, talk from the rabbi, friends speaking about the good memories, gathering together to tell the stories, this should not be lost. On the rest, I wore the Yarmulke, I threw dirt on the coffin. These are not my traditions but it means something to my friends family and it would have meant something to Bob, simple respect. I understand the importance of these things better now than I did this morning. It made me think of my Dad who always took on the customs of the people he was with. It’s a simple matter of respect. These are not the people using religion in bad ways, they were born to it and it’s all they know. Religion should have a secular alternative as apposed to nothing, I’ve changed my mind on that point today. Religion gave Bobs family a powerful way to say goodbye. No God need be mentioned to have found meaning in my friends life for me, but we aren’t all the same. I’ll miss my friend.