I had the opposite reaction
After a quick glance, I avoided looking at my mother's body, and certainly had no desire to kiss her. Not squeamish, just didn't want that to be my last memory of her.

By the same token, I declined the offer to watch my kids being delivered by caesarean -- why would I want the image of my wife with her body hacked open to cloud that joyful moment?

Maybe I'm just weird.
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Mon 15 Apr 2013, 11:31, 1 reply)

Just 2 sides of a coin I guess.
I made a real effort to see my mates Alex's body (whom I've mentioned this week). It was a real need for a sense of "closure" & altho it wasn't a good experience it was my chance to say goodbye. I didn't have that with the other bloke I wrote about and I think that's one of the reasons the grief from his death still lingers so much for me.
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Mon 15 Apr 2013, 23:38, closed)

The response to a death,
Is perhaps always going to be directly proportional to the nature or depth of relationship to the deceased.
We behave at that time, as we would if they were still there to witness it, and therein lies our personal closure, or at least the definitive part that is our comprehension of their passing.

And we're all weird, in the same way that we're all normal:-)
( Blind Meach Cautiously optimistic, Wed 17 Apr 2013, 20:39, closed)