Good Grief?

As Marcel Proust once said, "Happiness is beneficial for the body, but it is grief that develops the powers of the mind." Death is an ever present occurrence in our daily lives. Whether it's a neighbor, friend, friend of a friend, or a relative, the loss of a loved one takes a toll on us physically and mentally. Grief is a funny thing; some people are openly emotional and sad and others contain it. Albert Camus's novel, The Stranger, focuses on an emotionally unsound protagonist living in France. The death of his Maman required him to leave his work and home to attend a funeral and viewing. The residents of the assisted living center mourned the loss of his Maman and stayed through the night near the casket grieving, something that Meursault thought was pointless. While parading to his Maman's gravesite he focuses only on the heat, while Maman's dear friend Monsieur Perez fought with all his might to keep up with the procession, frustrated and sad. Meursault's lack of emotion in situations such as these and indifference towards death represent certain characteristics present in our society today. About two weeks ago, my nana passed away at the age of 93 years old. I was very upset, as she had been a significant part of my life since I was small. The week leading up to the funeral, I didn't think about her a lot, which made me feel horrible. I cried very little during the viewing and funeral until the very end. I felt guilty for showing so little emotion, almost feeling like it showed that I didn't care. I realized later that I acted this way because I wanted to remain strong for my younger siblings, especially my little sister. I was more accepting of her death because of her old age and her long, successful life. Whether someone is showing emotion or keeping it bottled up, or even some lack of sadness are all natural reactions to death and loss. I believe that every person can react differently to death. Granted, some humans are not as unnatural as Meursault, who kills someone because he's hot (although Meursault realizes emotions like happiness and hate are good things so he isn't all that bad). Some of my family didn't even seem sad, and some couldn't stop crying. Emotion doesn't have to be physical to be felt, because everyone grieves in their own way. Meursault enjoyed his Maman's prescience and wasn't bothered by her passing. No matter how we grieve, we should also honor and celebrate the impact the departed have had on our lives.