Then there was that memorial service….
For a church member who died, but no one bothered to tell us.
We heard it when we were doing a different memorial service at the same retirement community, when the activities director said in a stage whisper, “You know K… died?”
I said, “No! When? No one bothered to tell the church.”
The activities director sort of mumbled and sputtered, and got the day wrong by one, but still several days prior to that moment when we were then speaking. Asking what the plans were, I was given a slight shrug.
We tried to find out, even the funeral home in charge of “arrangements” did not know. Then we learned “K…” was being “shipped to New York”, which gave the impression that no services would occur in Longwood.
It wasn’t until a day or so after that that the only son called and wanted to know if I would do a service at the retirement community, here, and had a date in mind. Yes, of course I would.
Because he lives out of state, we planned the service by via the phone and email, which was a bit unusual, but went well. Even so, I had to bite my tongue at his response, when I asked if he wanted music. He said “No!” with vigor, and then added:
“Mother was tone deaf!”
As if I was asking Mother to sing, which would be a neat trick, don’t you think?
