[roisindubh]

I've gone to a coworker's mother's viewing, even though I had never met her mom. Several of us from work went because we'd heard her daughter speak so lovingly about her, and we wanted to show our support and respect for the woman we worked with. She was naturally very upset, and we wanted to be there for HER, not her mother, if that makes sense. Funerals are really for the survivors, after all, rather than the person who's passed on. I guess that's why businesses used to close for the day when an employee had a funeral in the family -- a sign of respect for the dead and respect & caring for the ones left behind. My work friend told us later that it meant a lot to her to see so many of us there. If your presence at the wake would be a comfort to your SIL, then I'd say, "Go." Just my 2 cents....