By Susan Dromey Heeter
Joyful Musings
The Irish proverb, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for everything” is one of my favorite expressions.
Mercifully, this week, I’ve joyfully mused over both. And not that I’ve necessarily been in need of a cure from anything in particular, I consider the activity of sleep and laughter great prevention for whatever may come down the pike. I like to be ready and somewhat prepared – who knows what‘s lurking around the corner?
So, last week when I was laughing with my dear friend, Jo, we decided Funeral Favors could be the next new trend.
Susan Dromey Heeter
But, first, a little background. Jo and I were laughing in our favorite thrift shop haunt when we talked of death – both those we’d experienced and our own upcoming demise. And as we are both avid shoppers, junk collectors at heart, we thought a great idea would be Funeral Favors.
I’ve been assigned the task, should Jo go anytime soon, of going around her lovely home – after, of course, her children and husband and other relatives have taken what they would like, and creating little “goody bags” for her service. These would be grab bags of sorts, and one could, after paying respects, take a little bag with a remembrance upon their way out of the memorial service or wake.
Now, it’s vital to know, the Funeral Favors cannot be new and, to keep things simple, should be wrapped in plain brown bags…the key is easy. And what might go in a Funeral Favor Bag? Perhaps a favorite spoon, a tea cup, a scarf.
If I were to go right now, I’d suggest grabbing that bottle of Joy perfume I have in my bathroom – it’s got a lot left and, heck, I’ll never use it. Another potential Funeral Favor? Some of my favorite books, I’m particularly fond of Love, Loss and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman ….how apropos.
Now, I did Google, “Funeral Favors” and, as with anything else, it’s been thought of before. But what I saw on Etsy and Pinterest were new items, Forget Me Not seeds, pocket crosses, memorial bead necklaces.
I like the idea of using Funeral Favors as a chance to clear out some of the junk, er, I mean treasures I’ve found over the years. Perhaps you know the work behind clearing out someone’s belongings; it can be both joyful and tiresome, devastating and interesting.
Perhaps utilizing “Funeral Favors’ may help with the task of the clean up AND allow someone to experience joy in a find. Who knows? All I do know is Jo and I giggled ourselves silly thinking of what could go into our Funeral Favors bags.
May your final days of…September…be celebrated with good laughs and long sleeps and do celebrate your life today –and the things around you that bring you joy.
I’m going to spritz some Joy on my own self and joyfully muse over this lovely weekend.
Susan Dromey Heeter, a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white, writes “Joyful Musings” for InDepthNH.org. Dromey Heeter is a secondary Spanish Teacher at Dover High School and the mother of two teenage daughters. Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards. She also writes about thrift shopping and all things frugal in a column called “Budget Vogue” for the New Hampshire Union Leader.