Tying Up Souls

Something has been troubling me each time I see it. On a couple of roads nearby, grieving relatives have set up what amount to shrines for kids who have passed away in auto accidents. These spots are marked by mylar balloons, floral arrangements, plastic chairs, and, in one case, hanging votive lights. I'm not disturbed by the idea of grieving. It is necessary and even healthy as a process. But I have to wonder about the decoration. It almost reminds me of the parable of the rich man and poor man offering their gifts in the temple. I don't want to paint the parents and relatives in that light, but they could be seen as saying "look at me, woe is me, admire me in my grief." While that is probably as far from the truth as one could be I have to ask some questions. 1) Why set up this "shrine" at the point where the person was killed? They aren't there anymore, unless one subscribes to the theory that our refusal to let go ties a soul to this plane of existence. If that is the case, getting on with the healing would be a release for the souls we love. 2) Why erect hanging votive lights and drape these sites with distracting bright colors? Is the intention to mourn so publicly that the sites themselves become a traffice nuisance? Is it not enough that somebody has already died there? Is it necessary to inadvertently cause another accident by the very act of mourning? Why not do this at a graveside?, That's pretty much my rant. I don't want to be callous, but am I the only one bothered by this?