Today I went into Paris with my husband. It was for the funeral of a lady I really liked. Her family is best friends with
my husband's family, and we've known them forever, so we were sitting in
the family section right behind the main family. It was my mother in law,
me, and my husband all lined up on the pew. Well, I hate funerals and I was pretty upset, but I didn't want to cry (I hate crying in public) So I started to stare at the painting in the church on the wall.
It portrayed Jesus dressed in a white
pleated long dress with a swooping hem-line - very 1930's flapper style - and he
looked like he was disco dancing in the air while Moses and St. Peter
looked on with horrified expressions painted on their faces. Beneath Moses (whose stone tablet had two bumps in the top that made him look like he had on a wonder bra) were two other saints cowering beneath the floating Jesus (in his pleated white flapper dress, with his arms held out in a cha-cha-cha...) Well, the more
I looked at that painting, the funnier it got, until I was trying not to
giggle instead of trying not to cry. Of course, when you bury your face in
your kleenex everyone thinks you're sobbing...
Then my mother in law who has eyesight problems (she can drive legally,
but she likes to pretend she's going blind) was clutching my arm through
the whole thing.
Afterwards we went outside to say hello - there
was quite a crowd - and everyone would come up and say to her "Hello Jackie"
and she would lean forward (with her huge dark glasses on) and say, "I'm
afraid I'm losing my sight, who is it?" And I'd have to introduce her. And
another friend came over and she said it again, and again, "I'm afraid I'm
losing my sight," until I finally said, "Yes, we were praying she'd lose her
voice, but unfortunately it's her sight that's going." Luckily my mother in
law has a good sense of humor, lol.
Well, that was the funeral. It was nice to see old friends, but in a bad
situation. I'll miss my friend, but she was very ill fora long time, and at least she's no longer suffering.
Then we had to go back home because the dogs were inside, and the
puppy had made a big mess in the kitchen, lol. Oh well. The sun was shining, so despite the bitter cold we went for a long walk.
So much for writing anything today, but maybe tomorrow I'll get some work done on my projects.
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8 comments:
Ouch, the mental image I now have ...
Sorry for yous loss, Sam.
While I'm sorry your friend has passed away, I'm delighted you found the gift of humor in a bad situation.
Just caught up on your other posts. Loved your tribute to the twins, the bonsai post, and seeing Auguste and your daughter. Good blog on POV as well.
Thanks Wayne, Gabriele and Lyn!
The Eggbeater Christ - that's just what it looked like except for the flapper dress, lol!
It's amazing how you can find humour in upsetting situations and that seems to carry you through. I have a lot of comical memories of times I visited Anibal in the hospital. It was always difficult to go in and I'd have to sit outside awhile and meditate, then put on the happy face and go up to the Pallative ward. But often, in spite of the tragic circumstances, there would be moments of quite hilarious things happen. It kind of helped get through it all and act as a buffer for the sadness.
It's good to have a sense of humour especially in these difficult times.
All the best to you
I spent most of November and December and part of January at funerals, memorials,etc. and I am hoping the new year brings a break from all that! Your funny Jesus, and Moses with the wonderbra sure had me laughing out loud.. hopefully if I AM in a church it'll have some good entertainment!!!
I know Wyn - sometimes I feel as if I'm too facitious, but then I figure I'm alive, and as long as there's life there's laughter.
I talk to a friend who has cancer every month (I have been calling her for about a year now - she's gone through everything) and I promise, all we do is laugh. She was my best friend all through highschool, and we always can find something to laugh about in every situation.
And Maddie, I'm sorry to hear about your month of December - I hope 2006 will be kinder to you!! (sometimes you have to look around hard, but there is usually something - or someone- to laugh about in church...)
Laughter is important.
It's about three months that my mother died, and my father suffers even worse than I for, but we manage to laugh sometimes. And I'm glad he does, it makes me feel he's still alive and not buried in his grief.
What a wonderful story, Sam! I’ve seen some mighty strange Jesus pictures in churches that had me eyeballing them in wonder and disbelief, too. It’s terribly hard to swallow down giggles when I’m in a church for a solemn occasion, especially when there are ancient women warbling in song behind me when the congregation is singing. Same thing happens to me at wakes.
Remember the old Mary Tyler Moore episode about the death of Chuckles the Clown? It was so funny because we can all relate to that kind of thing. That pesky humor mechanism has a way of manifesting itself at the most inappropriate times! :-0
Humor is soothing, healing and very necessary during even the bleakest of times. I helps to bring us out of the depths of despair and reminds us that we’re still alive and kicking. ;-)
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