I just have to share this...my day yesterday was magic.
I was asked to sing with a family that was holding vigil
with their daughter who was on her death bed in the house.
The hospice nurses had visited earlier in the day and she
was surrounded by friends and family. Poor girl was not
yet 30 but had cancer. She had breast cancer as a teen and
had survived for nearly 15 more years. It made us all mad
because she was the most vivacious, bubbly, sparkly, positive
person and she was a healer as well. She was a masseus(sp?) and
often helped others to feel better, but this did not prevent
her from being taken from us.

Any way i was able to help soothe the situation by singing.
I was so glad i was able to share music with the people there.
I sang about love, and when the end was near, i was moved to
do songs that contained images of flight, sailing, etc. She
passed away in the evening and it was such a priveledge to
be a part of such a passage.

Is there a cultural tradition in some places of a person
who specializes in providing music in such situatiuons?
I think I have heard of some women who come to funerals
to "keen" or mourn....what area of the world is this from?

Is a wake something that happens before of after a person dies?

I feel as if I could be of help to others is similar situations,
after being by my dying mothers' bed side for over a week and
singing to her, the others in the hospital found some comfort
and solace in hearing my music, too.

we are all poor, wayfaring strangers....