Life, Death and After That . . .

I really appreciated the essay “For Crying Out Loud” (by Martin Miller, Sept. 18). I have been teaching people about loss and grief for 40 years, always trying to get across something very close to what Miller said so wonderfully. Keep on writing such honest, perceptive thoughts.

Pastor Jim Kok

Director of Care

and Kindness Conference

Crystal Cathedral

Garden Grove

*

It’s pretty clear that Miller believes it’s all over when a person dies. Kaput, oblivion, finis! How sad. What’s strange is that God’s name is used in the subtitle of the essay, but Miller obviously doesn’t believe in God. And that explains the cynicism and bleakness of his description of an appropriate funeral for himself. If he were a man of faith, he would know why Christians celebrate the life of the deceased, because we know that it is only the beginning of real life.

Dennis Kelly

Signal Hill

*

Please tell Miller that his piece on funerals was so funny that it took up most of my Sunday morning. First I had to read it a whole bunch of times. Then I had to call my friends and read it to them. Thanks, that really was funny.

Gail Cummins

Tarzana