Writer's Dreams and Stranger Things
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Friday, November 21, 2008

odd things

I'd almost forgotten - there was an odd incident at Grandma's calling hours. We'd been there a couple hours and were sitting in the back people watching. A youngish man came in alone - which caught my attention, since we knew all the relatives there, and most of Grandma's friends were in the ancient category. My sister and I watched as he attempted to go up the center aisle, which was blocked by conversing people. He went around the outside, stopped at the pictures we had set up, read the book, looked over the flowers and eventually made his way to the coffin. I felt kinda bad, that this guy was here alone and no one seemed to be greeting him. He turned away from the coffin, wiping his eyes and as he exited, I followed, intending to ask Dad (who was just outside the door to the room, in the hallway) if he knew him.

The man walked out into the hallway, hesitated a moment. He was suddenly greeted by a group of people who DID know him - people who were going to a different room, for "Daisy's" calling hours. He went with them into that room, and I didn't see him emerge.

I told Dad, and everyone he was talking to, what happened and we all got a good laugh. Dad said, "Poor guy, he went up to the casket and thought 'Dear god, they did a terrible job - it doesn't even LOOK like Daisy!' No wonder he was crying."

We considered going over to peer in Daisy's coffin to see if she looked anything like Grandma, but some people felt that it might be bad taste (spoilsports!).
Posted by Kelley Grant-Kelley at 12:04 PM

2 comments:

Mando Mama said...

I for one could not have resisted and would have gone right with you to dear old Daisy's room.

Every family funeral needs a moment like that. I think maybe these things happen to remind us not to take things too seriously, somehow. The story of Daisy gave me my first good laugh of the evening. I hope that stories like this follow you along the next few months and you and your family leap the heavy hurdles of the first round of holidays without Grandma. That, and some of that spiked hot cocoa.

9:46 PM
Mando Mama said...

By the way, I hate to say it, but, you've been TAGGED!

9:51 PM

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