[ WP ] : God Himself appears at a funeral to give the eulogy .

It was surreal enough to attend my own funeral, seeing the faces of my former friends and family gathered to say their goodbyes to my vacant corpse. 
 
 I'm sure they were saying nice things, reminiscing about the way things were and what crazy things I'd done to elicit a smile or some long trivialized ire, but I could n't hear it. 
 
 Instead, I could only hear Him. 
 
 He radiated warmth and color in the cold, grey world that had engulfed what used to be my vibrant universe. I suppose dying really sucked the color out of things - not that I minded. It only gave a visual representation to what had slowly happened during the course of my life long before I found the noose that felt so right. 
 
 There were others, too. Faces that I could n't recognize - that had a certain look of off-ness about them. My non-corporeal gut told me that they were like me. Dead. 
 
 `` We're gathered here today to remember Alex.'' 
 His voice sounded strange. Like a gentle rolling thunder, or the sound of a crashing wave on a beach of soft clouds. 
 
 `` I gave everything to Alex. Intelligence, health, beauty, talent, a loving and generous family, supportive friends, and the capacity for greatness.'' 
 
 `` Never was there a time that Alex was in want of food or shelter or love - she needed for nothing, and suffering and misfortune were unknown to her.'' 
 Melancholy disappointment slightly tinged in his soft, booming voice. 
 
 `` She had everything, and yet, she succumbed to despair - she was free of worry, but her burdens crushed her to death. How could this have happened? Why?'' A growing knot choked my immaterial throat. 
 
 `` Alex may have been given everything, but I deprived her of what she needed most.'' I wanted to cry, but I had no tears, and no eyes for them to flow from. 
 
 `` Good and bad, are two sides of the same coin. Pain is what gives pleasure meaning, and that which is sweet means nothing without bitterness. I gave her only comfort, so she could only see hopelessness and despair.'' 
 Remorseful rain fell from the sky, running down my face like the tears that I longed to shed. 
 
 `` Without pain, we can not grow - and without growth, we stagnate and wither.'' 
 The others nodded solemnly and silently joined hands. 
 
 `` I am sorry, Alex. This was a lesson that you must learn so that you can grow.'' 
 I tried to speak, but I had no mouth, and no words came. 
 
 `` Carve it into your soul, and you will be reborn stronger, and more whole.'' 
 The others turned to me and faded away - and the memories of immeasurable lifetimes flooded into my mind. Countless loves and hatreds and endless eons, experiences and lessons and losses I had lived - I had raised myself, married myself, killed myself, gave birth to myself, loved myself, hated myself... 
 
 `` And now, I'm sending you back again. The wheel will continue to turn, over and over and over again - until you reach your destination. You will become me, and we will be complete.'' 
 
 The world faded into darkness, and my mind went blank. 
 
 And then there was light.
