Haines

Lately I've been reading a wonderful book about small-town Alaska named If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name, by Heather Lende. Ms. Lende has been a contributor to the Christian Science Monitor and NPR's Morning Edition, and she lives in Haines, Alaska. At the beginning of the book she writes about life and death in Alaska, and one of my favorite quotes comes from this section of the book, where a woman discusses the events following the death of her father:

"In the Lower 48, for thousands of dollars strangers will take over and do everything for you, in the mistaken assumption they are helping. It was so much easier for me to work through the grieving process when I had an active role in the preparations for the burial."