Alan Kennedy has forwarded a copy of "Keep Your Fork", quoted below the yellow text, which will be read at Joy Kennedy's funeral service, on Monday, December 18th, 2000, at 2PM [0400Z].
Alan says:
When I originally received this, I was tickled by the inference behind it, and showed it to Joy. Her comment was, ' This is beautiful, and I want the FORK!'
She got a lot of comfort from such a simple story, passed on to me, by one of my US friends, who is also dying of cancer.
She is literally getting the FORK, and the assembled 'multitude', will get the message!"
To those of you who can come to the church, on Monday, you are more than welcome, to those who can come along to the wake, you also are more than welcome, to those who can not, you have missed a hell of a night.
The last comment is addressed to those overseas friends who have spoken to, or been in receipt of comments, both derogatory and complimentary, of BFJ, over the years. As bad as I may have been at times, believe me, the Fastest Tongue in the Western Suburbs, never missed a barb, no matter how good I was at deflecting.
VALE JOYCIE. [my mate]
Alan Kennedy
akennedy@powerup.com.au
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So, as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favourite Bible.
Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.
"What's that?" the pastor replied.
"This is very important," the woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."
The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.
"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked.
"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor.
The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and
potluck dinners, I always remember that when
the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably
lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It
was my favourite part because I knew that something better was coming
like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple
pie.
"Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people
to see me there in that casket with a fork in my
hand and I want them to wonder, 'What's with the fork?' Then I want
you to tell them: 'Keep your fork the best is
yet to come.' "
The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman
good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last
times he would see her before her death. However, he also knew that
the woman had a better grasp of Heaven than he
did. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw
the pretty dress she was wearing and her favourite
Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor
heard the question "What's with the fork?" And
over and over, he smiled.
During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he
had with the woman shortly before she died.
He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolised to her.
The pastor told the people how he could not stop
thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not
be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.
Therefore, the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, oh, so gently, that the best is yet to come.
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and
encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a
word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show
your friends how much you care.
Happy Friendship week everybody, thanks for being my friend and remember...keep your fork, the BEST, HAS yet to come!
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