Near Death Experience

My grandpa passed away last week. John and I dutifully attended his services although I had not spoken to my grandfather in over ten years.
It was sad, but not for the right reasons. The funeral was crowded with strangers being introduced to each other. My aunts, uncles, cousins, none of us have a relationship. Most I was meeting for the first time. All week there was bickering amongst my dad's siblings. We did not even get through the service without an outburst. There is a reason we don't foster those relationships.
A funeral has a way of highlighting our own fleeting mortality. I spent the hours contemplating the variety of reactions in my siblings and relatives. Each person approaches death so uniquely.
I learned some things about my grandpa during the eulogies that made me want to have known him better. But, my grandpa was not a very nice person. They say time heals all wounds but I don't believe it. My grandpa left a volcano of unresolved issues with his children. These wounds may have been been temporarily forgotten but his passing brought emotions back to the surface. I was reminded of the only person who can truly heal all wounds: the atonement of Our Savior. Only He can absorb our pain and replace it with compassion and love. I know, because he has done it for me.