You can’t take it with you

At our bible study group this evening, our pastor told about attending a viewing for a deceased family member of someone from the church this past week. Apparently the man had very frequently dined at an Italian restaurant owned by an Aunt in the family. This Aunt arrived at the funeral home for the viewing with a mysterious item wrapped in tin foil, and began going to various family members, telling them how much the man had enjoyed her meatballs, and whether they thought he would like to buried with one. Each person told her “no, absolutely not!”, but she was not dissuaded, so certain was she that it would be a meaninful gesture. So, she went to the widow, and asked if she could put the meatball in the coffin, and made a point of telling her it was frozen, as if this would make a difference. The widow, having been asked by another member of this unusual family earlier in the evening about putting an entirely different item in the coffin, announced to the room that “the only thing going in that coffin is that man, and that’s final!”

I think the meatball thing was a great idea, because surely it would have thawed in time for the funeral the next day. Think of the confused looks on the faces of the mourners after passing by the coffin for the last time, catching a whiff of italian sausage and tomato sauce as they said goodbye their loved one!