Comic Relief at a Funeral

We just returned from Indiana, where we spent nearly a week visiting Reagan's great-grandmother in the hospital and, ultimately, at her funeral. Before we left, I told Reagan we were going because Grandmother was about to go to heaven. Reagan responded, "But I want to hug her first." She had plenty of opportunities, as Grandmother held on for three days after we were told she wouldn't likely make it through one night. Even though Grandmother wasn't able to respond and had an oxygen mask on her face, Reagan wasn't afraid to go right up to Grandmother and pat, kiss, or just talk to her.

Before visitation at the funeral home, I had warned Reagan that we would be having a celebration to say goodbye to Grandmother and that some people would be sad. I also told her that Grandmother's spirit had gone to heaven, but that she would be getting a new body there, so she didn't need her old body. When we arrived and Reagan saw Grandmother all dressed up, looking pretty good, I guess she figured this must be her new body. Reagan asked, "Is this heaven? Are we in heaven?" Um, no. She also proceeded to touch and poke at Grandmother and asked me, "Why she not squishy like me?" Um, I don't know, but I'm not going to touch her and find out. At one point, Reagan was jumping and making a sweeping gesture with her arms, saying, "Celebration party! Celebration party!" I asked, "What are we celebrating?" and she replied, "Grandmother goes to heaven!"

The last story is unrelated to the funeral, but it did happen in the kitchen of the funeral home, so it's worth mentioning. Reagan saw a sign and asked her cousin Melanie what it said. Melanie told her it was a "Thank You for Not Smoking" sign, and Reagan began her anti-smoking rant. (She takes after me in that respect.) She said, "We don't smoke! Only the bad people smoke." She added a few more comments that I couldn't really understand, but I clearly heard this next part. Now, imagine that she is wagging her finger, totally animated, while she gives this speech: "And Jesus comes down and tells the bad people, 'Don't you smoke!'--but they don't listen!" A preacher in the making, perhaps?

All in all, the funeral was a fitting tribute to my grandmother. I don't think she would have minded the levity Reagan added. She might even be laughing in heaven.