All the fun of the funeral

My friend Stephanie (who’s husband is also called Paul) emailed me today. She wrote:

“Yesterday was Paul's dad's funeral - his written wishes were that it would be a Latin mass of the 1850 said by a priest of the Transapline redemptorists sect of the St Pius X Society (or lonely goat-herds as I call them). We knew it would be bad but nothing could have prepared us for a priest who looked only 12; who ignored us as we alighted the limo; who has his back to the congregation and mumbled in Latin for 45 mins!

Life has taken on a pleasant normality today.”

The rest of our conversation went like this:

“Hmmm... Now you've got me thinking. Which Catholic sect shall I choose for my requiem mass? And on a related note, I have been daydreaming about choosing music to be played at our parents' funerals. Arthur Brown's 'Fire' is pretty close to the top of my list, along with 'C'mon baby light my fire...'etc etc. Put the fun back in fun-erals, I say.
Sorry if this seems irreverent. “

“Not irreverent at all! There are times when only laughter can get you through! There was a temptation to stand up a la Michael Palin and burst into "Always look on the bright side....." with swaying and hand movements!
I'm reminded that at the cremation of "Mr Big Wheel" from the Showman's Ground in Norwich. He had requested "Blaze Away" as the coffin slid into the cremator!

Hope you are having bonne vacances! “