Jami in Black and White

Yesterday I saw a movie which included a funeral scene which took place in Asia. The last several times I've seen Asia funerals portrayed, I've really thought that white is definitely a better funeral color than black. White better represents the grief and ache than black - here's my thinking: White is stark. White's empty and harsh. White, like death, is unforgiving. White hurts your eyes; it's blinding. Black is comforting and soothing. When my head or eyes hurt, I want darkness; it cools my pain. Black wraps everything in its shadows and hides flaws or faults. Black absorbs warmth. Black has always been my comfort zone. A widow might look attractive in a black dress and veil - a man in a dark suit might be going to a funeral or a nice dinner, but the family of the deceased draped in those achingly white robes screams loss. When I see the white, I think the very barrenness of it expresses the place in our soul experiencing that same starkness where once there was a love. White wails, not sobs softly.