JudoWolf.com

The older man waited comfortably in his seat as he watched the other passengers stand up in the aisle, open the overhead compartments, and retrieve their bags; only to end up standing in line waiting to exit. Having flown numerous times to Boston, he knew there was no need to rush, as he would have to wait anyway. When all the people ahead of him left, he stood up, grabbed his bag, walked off the plane, and before he knew it was standing on the curb, enjoying a smoke, waiting for his brother Paul. His brother pulled up as he stepped on his cigarette to extinguish it. Getting into the car, the older man was elated to see his brother again.

Pulling away from the curb, his brother updated him on the new arrangements; the wake was now on Friday and the funeral on Saturday. Their mother was doing okay, but now felt she was in limbo due to the length of time between her husband’s death and the funeral. His sister-in-law was a florist and was grateful for the extra time, as she wanted all the arrangements to be perfect. His brother asked him what he was going to do with the two extra days he had available. He replied he was going to see his children and grandchildren. Arriving at his brother’s home, he went inside, picked up the telephone, called his daughters and made arrangements to visit each one for a day. The next day his middle daughter picked him up and his visiting journey began. After enjoying his time with his children, the older man returned to his brother’s home Thursday to prepare for the wake.

As the older man escorted his mother into the funeral home, he looked around and it struck him that all funeral homes are the same. The funeral director and his staff of men in black were somber as they had no idea how these people would react to the death of this loved one. It was obvious they had experienced every situation and knew what to do in each case. The emotion of these two families was mixed, as the two families didn’t know each other well: the deceased was 86 and had been married to his second wife for five years; this was the wife’s third marriage, both had multiple children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. The husband’s children were naturally upset and the wife’s children were there to give support to their mother and each other.

Moving into the room where the deceased was laying in his casket the older man hugged the members of the husband’s family, went up to the casket, knelt down, and said a prayer over the body. While kneeling he glanced at the flowers, saw the cards which accompanied each banquet, noticed how beautiful they were, and wondered how sending flowers to the decedent and loved ones had become a tradition? He didn’t have the answer for the question, but couldn’t remember a wake where they were not present. They brightened up the room and took away some of the sadness lingering among the people. There scent hovered over the deceased and those paying their respects were glad for its presence. Family members viewed each card to see who had sent them, giving them solace knowing their loved one was remembered by many. Those who sent the flowers were honoring the deceased and letting the family knew they would be missed. The flowers job was only for a day, as after the burial many were left at the grave and would quickly die. This seemed fitting as their function was complete and to die with the deceased was the right thing to do as they belonged with them. Some were rescued by family members, extending the flowers life for a little longer.

The next day he attended the funeral and getting into the limo noticed a few family members picking up a flower arrangement with the memories of their loved one nestled within.