La Vela: Cultural experience I was not expecting.

I dont even really know what to say.  Victor met me at the house and told me to put on a dress because we were going to "la vela" where Lucre (my house mom) was.  Not knowing what on earth a "vela" was, I asked all kinds of stupid questions.  "Is Fabri coming?" "Fabri, it looks like somethings wrong, you dont seem to be yourself" ....thats because a Vela is a viewing, someone in their family died.  Of course Fabri looked sad, he was mourning.

Having expected some kind of candle service of prayer or dancing or something, you can imagine my shock when I saw an open casket.  Lucre's sister's husband passed away yesterday morning.  I was fine until I saw her.  The sadness in her eyes went far past the tears you could plainly see.  What really got me though, was when her daughter knelt down beside her and began to gently stroke her back, asking if she wanted a glass of water.  The picture of the two of them made me think of my own mom, and what it would be like if dad passed away.  That was it.  I lost it.  To make matters worse Fabri came up to the wife and held her while she cried.  There's something about a young guy who seems a little like a surfer dude comforting a small Costa Rican woman.  Lucre introduced me to everyone as "Mi gringita (my little gringo)"  following that with "esta muy sentimental"  (she's very sentimental).  Eventually my crying got so bad that Lucre asked Victor to take me home before I made anyone else sad.

Pain is universal.  I wish I had had the words to say something, anything to make it better.