First experience of attending a drive by Covid-19 funeral

[Griselda1]

I attended the funeral of a childhood friend and neighbour yesterday. He had been ill for almost three weeks and just never showed any signs of recovery. Most of the village turned out along the route and it was a devastating experience, probably the first time the horrors of the virus has hit home for me.
He was in his late forties and single.The extended family followed the hearse and then 10 were allowed to the graveside. The most distressing aspect was that the poor family were trying to acknowledge and greet the roadside mourners as they drove past them.We live in a very traditional community where funerals are so important and I've been struggling with tears ever since. Please be careful and look after yourselves until we have better times.

I'm so sorry Griselda, how shocking and tragic💐
and to not even have the small comfort of a proper funeral service😞

Just this evening have had the awful news a dear friend of mine has died leaving behind a very dear wife and 3 young children. We've worked together for over 15 years.. I'm lost for words 😐

How awful to leave behind three young children,I'm really sorry to hear that.
The normal formalities of the funeral become so important when you realise that social distancing even makes it hard to reminisce or comfort anyone. We stood at the side of the road with some farmers straight out of their fields, others in head to toe black clothes and people just didn't know what to do. There was a vantage point on a hill top about qtr of a mile away and many of the wider family had to watch from there. I think there's going to be huge trauma when this hopefully ends.