In my house, there are several small dogs. They love to eat those dog treats that look like bacon. But really, the reason that the dog treats are made by manufacturers to look like bacon is to impress me, the owner. The dogs would eat them even if they looked gray and lumpy.

A long time ago, I used to help my cousin mow a Catholic cemetery in Northeast PA. It was old, and the church itself is from 1820. Anyhow, during my work it was common to see little groups of two or three people coming to visit graves. It really meant a lot to those people to have those graves, and to be able to visit and show respect for the people they had loved in life.

My parents raised me as a Catholic, but I developed doubts, and haven't attended regular mass in years. When someone dies, though, it isn't my place to say anything about the ceremony, because it holds a meaning to the people involved. Just like the bacon shape of the dog treat and just like the visits to the old cemetery hold a meaning.

I hope your uncles get over themselves, at least for a while, to show respect for your granddad and for the other people who value the Christian ceremony.