We buried my father last weekend. This topic is a fresh one for me. I would have "preferred" to have not been exposed to the magic spells, rituals, and mystical musical "contemplation periods" of my youth. I tried to focus on the fact that most, if not all, of my immediate family found them comforting (so be it). It was an exhausting week... I'm now free to pursue my aesthetics, my preferences, and my interests after showing respect for and honoring the life of my father.