My Parents Almost Missed Their Own Funerals!

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In the last month, my life has been wracked by the deaths of several family members and close friends. We have attended the funerals of my husband's sister, my mother and father, some other relatives, and the husband of one of my dearest friends. I sat with my friend after her husband died, while we waited for the mortuary to pick up his body. In many ways, it has been a grim month. However, it was not without humor. My sister arranged for my father and mother to have their cremated ashes placed together in the same cemetery vault, and have a military funeral, in honor of my father's time in the Navy during World War II. The morning of the funeral, my sister and I went to the florist to pick up the flowers for our parent's funeral, as well for the funerals of two other relatives who were also being buried in the same Veteran's Cemetery on the same day. The cluster of funerals had been scheduled that way for the convenience of everyone who would be attending, especially out-of-town relatives. When we arrived at the cemetery, with three bouquets of flowers, my sister's ex-husband came up and asked her, "Did you bring the military flag?" My sister just stared at him for a moment. Then she responded, "Not only did I forget the flag, I forgot to bring mom and dad's ashes to their funeral!" Fortunately, two of my daughters were still back at my sister's house, and they were able to gather up the urns and flags and bring them to the cemetery ... arriving just minutes before the scheduled funeral. So, my parents almost missed their own funerals, but their granddaughters saved the day!