There are not many things that Stella disliked. In fact, the only two that I can think of is that she was uncomfortable with attention directed at her (a trait that I admittedly lack,) and she hated when people were sad.
So the funeral would have upset her since so many sad people came together in her name.
But it was necessary, and I think she would have agreed that it was a fitting and proper way of saying goodbye.
The shloshim (end of thirty days of mourning) is a different story. There were many options of things we could do publicly. But all of them would have involved lots of sad people talking about Stella.
So there is no doubt in my mind, that from her place in heaven she arranged one of the biggest snow storms to ever hit Israel and the Gush. I can see her now, with a smile on her face. She is laughing.
She is saying:
“Ha! So you think you’re going to make a big ceremony about me where everyone will cry? Just you try and get to the cemetery or even have people come to the house. Not gonna happen. Now go put your boots on and play in the snow.”
Yes, this is the way I like to think of her now. Free from pain and keeping an eye on all of us.
I know her. Better than anyone in the world. And I know that she does not want us to be overcome by grief. She told me many times that she was not afraid of dying but that she was worried about how hard her passing was going to be on us. She told me flat out that if she would have any way to help us after she died, she would. But that we were going to also have to find a way to adjust to life without her.
So even though I won’t always succeed, that’s how I am going to (try and ) move on. And if she can send a snowstorm of these proportions, I know that she will try to help us avoid the sadness any way she can.