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sprigs representing the immortality of the soul, and a white apron symbolizing purity. And as the ceremony progressed, I not only thought of my father’s life and soul, but I also reflected on my own mortality, meaning, and direction.

Members of the Masons come from all religious denominations, united by their shared belief in a “Grand Architect of the Universe,” and the ceremony, though brief, pays homage to this belief. The funeral master wears a hat and gloves and speaks with quiet authority: “Our brother has reached the end of his earthly toils. The brittle thread which bound him to Earth has been severed, and the liberated spirit has winged its flight to the unknown world.”

For many non-Masons attending these services, it represents their first glimpse into the fraternity’s teachings.

“The cradle and the coffin stand side by side … and it is a solemn truth that as soon as we begin to live, that moment we begin to die.”

And the sprig represents not just immortality, but the infinite bond between members that transcends death itself. They have each other’s backs, supporting one another through the good and the bad.

Standing under the canopy at Wayne’s graveside last Wednesday, watching the master recite the ancient rites, I was again reminded of the brotherhood and its traditions. The ceremony provided comfort not just through its words of hope and continuity, but through the visible demonstration that Wayne had been part of something larger than himself—a fraternity that would honor his memory and support his family even after his death.

In a world that often feels disconnected, there’s something deeply reassuring about witnessing such enduring bonds of brotherhood and the symbolism that speaks to universal truths about life, death, and the principles we choose to live by.