We're taking a short break before people start to come pay their respects. The reason I included this shot was to show the patches the family wore on our arms. They were woven from a coarse fiber, similar to burlap. In the past, it was more common to wear entire gowns made from this material, like the family in this picture. Patches for sons and daughters are a coarser material than the ones worn by grandchildren. As the oldest grandson, I wore a coarse patch over the grandchildren's patch, signifying the weightier responsibilities I must bear.