23:17 Jun 18 2017
Times Read: 473
Today was Uncle Ernest funeral. His son Jason asked me to be a pallbearer. Of course I said yes. Being father's day, to honor my own father as he respected Ernest. He was always a hard worker, stayed faithful to his wife, and raised his family. A good man as Dad would of said.
So I said yes.
Then I walked with him back to a small room at the funeral home. Now his family is from Mt. Vernon. Small town. The funeral man just looked at me. I step up to sign the paper, and it was about this time the other males, all cousins on his side of the family, kind of figured it out. The funeral man reached up to pin the red flower on my blouse, but he kind of paused... and I just offered to do it for him. Safe to say I am sure this is the only time they say a girl doing this. But that might of been me judging when I couldn't of been more wrong.
At the graveyard I thought back and it might of been just the males thinking... "Huh? A woman?"
Mind you- there wasn't that many males left who could do it. But as the only person on my mother's side- his wife is my mother's sister- I guess I was kind of the totem family member on his wife side.
Went well till we got to the country side, 16 miles from the small town so.. farm land. The road is gravel the last mile. Gravel hill up to the graveyard but they had the service at the bottom of the hill. Coffin back into a funeral home car, and they went up the hill. Standing around the other males I asked if we wanted to drive, walk... they picked walk. So off I went. Did good, going up the hill even, not breathless at the top, even wearing all black, heels and pearls. Thinking my mother would of been laughing her butt off at that.
Then I notice the grave. No wonder they did the service at the bottom of the hill. It was straight up a hill. Okkkk.... think goodness the men were big guys. Asked if we needed a break, we all said nope. See the grave was at the top of another hill. Walk is about 70 feet.
Mind you- heels, grass, hill. Then add a coffin. Yeap, I made it a little over half way when I realized I was not helping but hurting more. Heels kept sinking in the ground crewed up by the digger machine. I said I was going to have to let go, and they took what little I was helping. I walked behind them the last 15 ft. or so and watched as they sit the coffin on the boards over the grave.
:(
But I did all I could, which is better then I could of done a year ago. Should of just flip off the shoes, and went on but I sure wasn't going to ask them to stop, wait for me to do that.
50/50= I am sad I couldn't do it. I am proud I did what I did.
But I know my Uncle and Daddy would of be proud I tried.
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