Have you ever had "one of those days?" Most of us have had a day that is too strange to forget.
Mine was a couple days ago when I went to a funeral. I didn't know this lady, but she was a relative of a relative, so I went along anyway. After driving for over 3 hours it was good to arrive at the church/funeral home. At least I thought it was that. There were plaques with peoples names on them. I thought it was very nice of people to have donated money and their name is on a plaque. There were everywhere.... WOW this place is getting a lot of money. Nice place, big (several rooms), pretty (lovely stained glass windows, fountains, statues etc), nice santuary (don't most churches have sanctuaries?).
So I settled into this lovely church/funeral home, not really sure what, but there is going to be a funeral here. After riding 3 hours I thought I should find the ladies room. There must be several in a big place like this.... So I wandered around (didn't want to ask...surely I could find this on my own, which I did!) Funny, they only have one bathroom, behind the lovely sanctuary. I go there, no big deal. When I came out I again admired all the names on the walls, seeing some areas that need some names.
This lady I knew from my hometown realized that we know each other, so we started to chat about the lovely building. She said she thinks it is a mausoleum and those plaques are the for all the people who are behind the walls. I was stunned, I should have realized this, but I have never been in a mausoleum before. This got me thinking of many things; cultures of the world, cost, how did the seal the tombs etc. When I settled on my new found knowledge I realized there were a lot of people here! No wonder why they only have one bathroom for the ladies, these people didn't need it!
It was time for the funeral. The honored lady was around 90 years old and lived a good life. She even wrote a corny joke for her funeral. There was a lovely poem and pretty song, too bad we didn't have good singers. The lady sounded like a very fun woman with her home grown brew and love of strawberries.
When the ceremony was complete the minister said we could go to her "crypt" (so that is what they call those things in the wall!!!!) I really wanted to see her crypt so I went with the group to the crypt. She was on the lower level. There were 6 levels. Her husband was already resting in this crypt. I wondered how do the people fit? Are they side by side, on top of each other, end to end? Looks like end to end was the crypt this nice lady was going to.
The workers lowered her into her resting place. The group was totally silent...totally...then they started screwing something???? I couldn't see, but I could hear the errr, errr, errr of the screw... It was STRANGE... no one talking and this was the only sound.
I did think that standing here was a lot better then the last funeral I was at when I stood outside freezing my hindy off. This mausoleum thing wasn't such a bad thing after all. You can stop by to see you loved one in warmth and beauty.
Once this lady's crypt was sealed our group began to break up and things got REALLY STRANGE...... One of the funeral attendees, another elderly lady became unresponsive. She had been a little tired so her friends told her to rest, and boy did she rest.....
Instead of leaving our group was gathered near this lady hoping she would not keep resting... She didn't want to wake up! She wanted to join her friend who we just placed in the crypt. I really doubt if she had a crypt in this mausoleum, but there must be something some place. The funeral attendees did everything to help this poor elderly woman. The daughter of the lady in the crypt was doing mouth to mouth, while someone else was doing CPR... I was hiding around the corner, praying that she would respond. I was also thinking..... there is a new way to do CPR.... just compressions. This went on for 20 minutes before the police and paramedics finally arrived... PTL!!! The lady didn't look too good, but at least people really tried.
The policeman was asking who she was etc. I didn't have a clue, but her one friend came over and said she found her and gave the information. The paramedics did their thing and got her out of the mausoluem to a hospital...I think she needed the mausoleum more then the hospital.. but you never know.
Our group regrouped so we could get to the dinner. We thought we could help by taking the flowers which were then loaded into our car. In the mean the time the friend of the lady who passed out was trying to get her car working. It was right next to ours... hood up, being held by an ice scraper (only in Wisconsin would you hold your hood up with an ice scraper). My darling husband listened to her engine and said the "oil pump wasn't working, don't drive your car." This poor woman, her friend, now her car. She really wanted to drive it, but noooooo,,, it will die on the highway... So we convinced her to leave it and come to the dinner then we will figure out how to get it back to her car for someone to pick her up.
My SIL and I were watching everything and we could not believe how strange this all was... this lady was have a "REALLY BAD DAY!!!!" We could not control ourselves and were crying/laughing... praying that this lady wouldn't need the paramedics too. Then she gets in our car... we had room.. moved some flowers for her. She settles in and is laughing... saying she knew there was something wrong with her car, her family are mechanics and will help her. She was taking it all in stride, while we were freaking out!
So we drive to the dinner...1 1/2 hours late! Got to know our new friend who is having a lot of bad luck. When we arrived at the dinner location I was sure it was the wrong place! Everything was decorated for a wedding! Beautiful decorations! Here we are a funeral party, 1 1/2 hours late due to a probable second death and a near dead car! But they were expecting us and gave us a couple of tables. The food looked GOOD... it was 2:30 and we were STARVING... let's eat! When the bartender arrived the funeral party flocked to the bar!
So we ate, and talked and ate!!!! Needed to get out by 4:00, which wasn't a problem! Our waitress was invited to the wedding, so she was glad that she would be waited on instead of waiting on others. Our new friend is on the phone to her family trying to figure out the car stuff.
As we were getting ready to leave the call came from the hospital that the lady who passed out at the funeral had passed away... that surely silenced the group, exept for the lady on the phone figuring out the car stuff. Another lady wondered who was going to plan this second funeral... how was her family going to get here..... oh dear.. all these people will be getting together again in a couple of days. Since I have never met any of these people I don't think I need to go.
The car lady FINALLY gets off the phone being giddy about getting her car problem sorted out... then she heard the news about the friend she had found passed out.... She totally missed the announcement... She didn't know what she was to be driving when her car was in the fix-it shop and now she has another funeral to go to. Needed to get home first!
Oh how sad for everyone. They did say this lady who passed on was living on borrowed time because she was declared dead 2 years ago. She had a good long life,,, so things were sad, but not so sad.
It was time to leave and the car lady still needed a ride back to her car. I made sure someone was taking care of her, since her day was going so badly. She had a ride, so we left.
While driving home we kept thinking about the day.... it felt like we were in the twightlight zone... a bad movie,,,, The day was too strange to be forgotten.
I pray that everyone still living is alright, and those who aren't are resting in peace. As for the car... that will be fixed.. one way or another.
