As a society, we arenât exactly comfortable with death. Different communities and different cultures have their own unique traditions and approach the death of a loved one according to custom. Increasingly, Americans have a difficult time coming to terms with the loss of someone close, perhaps because they have not accepted their own mortality. Spending time with the deceased can, however, be beneficial for those who feel comfortable with the practice, as it offers an opportunity for relatives to say goodbye. It provides a sense of closure. Growing up, I saw plenty of âdeadâ people in my living room â a constant barrage of homicide victims that sent 1970s TV detectives on the trail of that weekâs guest killer. When relatives died, my parents shielded me from their funerals â for better or worse. It wasnât until I was 20 that I encountered death firsthand: My father died at home alone, sitting in his favorite chair in front of the television in the living room. My mother discovered him and asked a neighbor to call the office where I was working at the time. She wouldnât say anything other than âYou need to come home right away.â