Giggling at Funerrals

 One morning years ago THE TODAY SHOW their guest was a psychiatrist. People emailed her in questions. One of the questions was, "is it OK to laugh hysterically at a funeral?" She said indeed it is and went on to explain why. It had to do with how stressful death is and the least bit of comedy relief might just be the pressure release valve needed and she added, although the other people at the funeral might not like it.

It reminded of June 1960. I and five other teenage friends were pallbearers at another friend's funeral who was killed in a car wreck. The burial was at a little country church near Woodstock, Little River Methodist Church. Now, it is on the edge of a four lane highway across from Wamart, but back then it was out in the country. The cemetery is rolling with small hills. We had to carry the casket up and down a small hill or two. When we first started one of us known for his farts let out a loud fart. It was loud enough for all us to hear for quiet enough for the people walking behind us not to hear it. Five of us got the giggles. Although minutes ago we were sobbing, but at that moment we could hardly carry the casket because we were shaking and trying to swallow our giggles. Except one of us who was highly mad at us for making light of it all, while we were giggling he was whispering cursing us.

Also on the same subject, reminds me of a funeral in Dalton, Georgia, of my mother's sister. At the burial, it was pouring down rain. After the burial we were waiting in our car when a family friend walked up with his umbrella and said the age-old pun, "Think it'll rain?" Which cracked all my immediate family in the car up. The car shook with hysterical laughter.

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