Thoughts I Can't Get Out of My Head

Alternate title: Things One Shouldn't Say At A Funeral

My mom died after a seven month long struggle with lung cancer. During that fast forward period of decline I attended her till her death. In other words the horrible and rapid decline toward her death happened in my house under my watchful care. I had seven months to steel myself toward the idea that she was leaving me and there was nothing I could do about it.

She didn't want a funeral service but other family memebers did. So, with her permission, after her death we set out to have one.

While at the church setting up, I was approached by a friend of my brother. A man who's held mighty enough positions to know about diplomacy if not care and concern.
His greeting to me was, "So, how's it feel to be an orphan?"

I was shocked, tewnty years of serving alchohol to drunks and others served me well. I stiffened my back and let it bounce off me. Hell, I'd already endured my father's death by suicide seventeen years earlier. I also had already known this man in front of me, confronting me now- to be an ass. I moved on and got through the day.

Weeks later my sister said , " Do you know what someone asked me at Mum's funeral?"
When queried she said, "Someone asked me how it felt to be an orphan."

I got immediately angry. I said, "That must have been so and so, he asked me the same thing!"

Incredulously - no! It was someone else. A woman. A friend, I thought till then.

Life never ceases to amaze me.