I went to a funeral a couple weeks ago for our rabbi's father. There was a cortege from the synagogue to the cemetery. I had never been part of one before, had only seen them occasionally. I did not know that people on the other side of the street pull over and stop when you go by.
Now, I already cry when people pull over when an ambulance or fire truck to go by. The idea that all these people are pulling together to help someone else is so beautiful, it makes me cry. I know it's the law, sure, but it doesn't matter. It's still people working together for someone they don't even know and never will know.
But in this cortege, seeing those cars pull over, I could not stop crying. (If I had been alone, I would have sobbed.) There was no reason for these people to stop. None at all. It was simply a gesture of respect, an acknowledgment that we all experience heartbreak. It was two minutes out of their day to show respect for people they did not know and never would know.
What could be more uplifting than simple, heartfelt gestures like this?
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