Last year I was invited to a "living wake". The person was still alive and looked better than some of his friends. It was basically a party. But he had advanced brain cancer and did pass a few months later. The idea of such an event was and still is highly strange to me.

I also attended one. I liked it, except for the odd way people spoke of him in the past-tense, as if he weren't, y'know, present. But I assume that was this particular crowd being weird. Probably the first person started it, and everyone after unconsciusly adopted the same language.

When he did pass, I was sad, but less sad, I think, than I would have been. It was an interesting experience.