The Corpse Painter's Masterpiece

I found "The Corpse Painter's Masterpiece" to be a very touching story. I do not have children, but I can't imagine how hard it is to find peace once again after losing a child. Throughout the story, I was able to feel the pain and guilt the main character feels for the death of his son. The stress at home with his wife and the tension between them is most likely a result of the silent torment they face each day while they try to cope with the loss. When the main character sees the light that leads him to his son's grave, it's as if he believes he has finally found a solution that will help lessen the pain. He doesn't know if it will work, but he cannot help but try. I felt his blind hope while he was frantically digging in the frozen earth with his bare hands. There was no stopping, and his friend who found him, who also had a child of similar age to the man's deceased son, knew this so he lended his help. The idea of turning your deceased child's bones into a Christmas present seems sepulchral at first, but the way the author describes the couples mentality about the loss and their love for the child they miss terribly made it very sweet. I had this image in my mind when I finished the story, and even now, of two people, holding each other and finding some peace after this tradegy while soft amber light dances in beautiful patterns around the room from the flames of the candles, or the corpse painter's "masterpeice."