Funeral Funnies

October 18, 2014
Day 171

At one point during the first wake for Andy's Uncle Fai, Andy's dad told me a joke, and then apologized right afterward.  "I can't believe I'm joking around today," he said with dismay.  Then he told me another.  I assured him it was not just natural to do so, but healthy too, and as it turned out, the many laughs these past few days really did help us a lot.

Andy's Uncle Buck spoke about his recent trip to Rome.  He said when he visited the Forum, and the tour guide showed them where Caesar was killed, Buck asked why there was no chalk line.  And when they took a tour of The Vatican, the tour guide asked if people knew who the pope's army was (The Swiss Guard), but Buck just suggested, "The Salvation Army?"

When Andy and I saw his cousin's son knocking things down off a table back at his aunt's house, someone jokingly referred to the toddler as Godzilla.  When Andy's great uncle Nilo spoke to us about our upcoming visit to D.C. to purchase some of his paintings, we told him we didn't want to spend too much money, so he calmly suggested we just take a loan out, before laughing once he saw our faces.  And even the names of some people in Andy's family make me laugh.  One woman is known as Fatty Mama, because she used to be very heavy, and another man is known only as Goggi, because he drinks so much. 

There were more funny moments too.  Andy's niece Lorelei told us she didn't like ceremonies, which is what she was told the wake and funeral were.  "People are sad at ceremonies," she said.  "But weddings are ceremonies too," Andy's dad assured her.  She smiled.  "I like weddings, because they have cake."  Another little girl, the granddaughter of Fai's next-door neighbor, was standing at the coffin with her grandparents.  The grandfather pointed to Fai and said, "Grandpa is sleeping."  The little girl frowned and said right back, "No he's not.  He's dead!"  From the mouths of babes!

Buck had some other great lines too.  At the funeral mass itself, he saw the incense smoke rising from the coffin and whispered, "They're not starting to cremate him right here, are they?"  And before that, when it was time for Communion, he said, "I don't want that.  There's no dip."

Laughter really is the best medicine, and it's very good for the soul.  You should joke around when you can, when appropriate, and enjoy life's happy moments, because this journey we're on here really is quite short.

There may not always be dip, but when there's cake, make sure you have some.