Can you handle a little "dark" humor this morning.....

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Our family has been through a bit of a patch over the last couple of weeks.

I learned of my nephews accident yesterday from my sister; while speaking with her my dad called in to let me know that mom was home.

Okay, dad. Totally forgot that she was cremated (being interred this spring) & dad was picking up the urn yesterday.

He let me know that mom refused to put on her seatbelt & he was glad the urn had been glued shut. Mom would have been hacked off at having to be vacuumed up of the floor of the van.

Dad pulled over & secured "mom".

In the meantime, our 3rd tragedy has occurred for the year. My sister's dog died. Dad commented that Cookie dying was like giving up one for the gipper.

We cleared our 3 big hurdles the first 2 weeks of the year - we should have 11.5 months of clear sailing.

While this was a little concerning - I ended up laughing & couldn't stop. I appreciated dad's humor in the situation.

My family has always had an interesting sense of humor or we are completely disturbed. Haven't decided which.

:rofl:
 

On_Call

New Member
Linda,

I always believed that laughter and our senses of humor are what get us through the darkest hours. "It might as well be funny" is something I say almost daily about something - even if there is very little humor in the situation.

My mother had to have surgery years ago - and my father and I sat in the waiting room during the surgery. Dad was so nervous that he began telling strangers in the waiting room that my mother had better hurry up and get better because there was snow in the forecast and she was the one who did the shoveling and wiped off his truck every morning so that he could go to work. You cannot believe the looks that we got! It certainly broke the tension in the room - I can vouch for that.

I think the fact that you and your Dad share that sense of humor is a gift. Keep that as long as possible.
 

Sunlight

Active Member
my aunt was cremated and placed in an urn. her son put the urn in the car and drove it all over the old hometown talking to his mom all the way. it was the morning they were to bury the urn. he took her for one last tour.
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
Twisted is nice sometimes! It's good you can find things to laugh at. We were joking about what to do after Grandpa was cremated. My idea (as he was a HUGE golf freak) was to take a detour to Augusta, GA on our way back north and sprinkle a bit on the golf course. As it was, I had to come home before he passed. My cousin was on the phone with Grandma when my uncle picked the urn up from the crematoriam and she said, "Grandpa's home. Your dad just picked him up". My cousin thought she lost her mind for a second.

We also have a twisted sense of humor and I've found that it comes in handy at times! (Uncle's wife almost lost a couple of toes and told everyone to forget getting her any flip-flops for Christmas)

Glad your dad has that type of humor though as well as the rest of the family. It really helps get you through. Hugs!
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
I love it! My H always says my family has a twisted sense of humor (and his has none, of course-lol). I wonder if we have such warped senses of humor because we're surrounded by difficult child's and the alternative is to wallow and cry? I don't know what it is, but I'm glad you and your dad were able to find a bit of humor and laughter together. That's great.
 

rejectedmom

New Member
Linda, Humor is a good release for emotionally difficult times. your Dad is a gem. Bless him for trying to help you move foward in your grief.

I too have what is sometimes refereed to as a "Wicked" humor. I can find humor in the darkest places sometimes. I have a very funny story about going to my husband's uncles funeral. We went to the church and were sitting in the pew watching the pall bearer's bring the coffin to the altar. The one in front was a big heavy set man and his fly was fully opened with the tip of his shirt tail jutting out. husband and I could hardly snuffle our giggles. Then when we were getting in line to go to the internment the same guy comes over to give us directions. His open Fly was framed in the window that we were talking to him through. We were at the back of the line and probably the 25th car he talked to and no one had told him about his zipper being open! So we let him finish his spiel and then husband informed him of his wardrobe malfunction. The guy asked how long it had been open. husband just laughed and said "you don't really want to know" We rolled up the window and waited for the poor man to move away from the car and just busted out laughing. We finally composed ourselves on the drive to the cemetery and pulled up to park. We got out of the car with the proper solemn expression on our face. It didn't last long because as we turned to walk to the grave site right in front of our car was a headstone with the name "CROAK" in very large bold letters. husband and I just looked at each other and busted out laughing. Everyone though we were crazy. I then asked husband if his uncle had had a sense of humor and he told me that he was the biggest prankster my husband had ever met. So we think he would have loved his funeral. -RM
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
I share a twisted sense of humor as well so I can appreciate your anecdote, Linda. If one of your Mom's last *Mom-comments* to you was about how she hated your hair, I expect she shared your sense of the absurd and is pleased to know that you and your Dad are seat buckling her in the car and including her in your conversations.

There is something about the finality and devastation and somberness of death that can be just so overwhelming that our senses seem to burst in unexpected (and sometimes very inappropriate) ways...

...I am reminded of *Mary Richards'* uncontrollable laughter at Chuckles the Clown's funeral. Does anyone remember that??? :rofl:

There are few of us who haven't experienced something similar. :blush:

Suz
 
:bravo:To Dad for helping to lighten a heavy burden!

I am sorry for all the stuff that has happened, but at least your family has a healthy sense of humor to help you through it all.

Love the seat belted Mom vision!

Hugs,
Vickie
 

rejectedmom

New Member
Oh my gosh Suz, I had totally forgotten about that episode. For thouse of you who do not know who chuckles is this is an excerpt from Wicopedia.

Chuckles the Clown - Chuckles the Clown was the star of THE CHUCKLES THE CLOWN SHOW that aired on the fictional Minneapolis television station WJM-TV Channel 12 on the sitcom THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW/CBS/1970-77. His real name as George Bowerchuck. The Chuckles character - who debuted episode No. 8 "The Snow Must Go On" - was a running gag on the program. He was rarely seen, but periodically mentioned by Lou Grant, Murray Slaughter, Mary Richards or news anchor, Tex Baxter who dated George's daughter, Betty Bowerchuck, for a while.

On episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust" Chuckles was killed off by the script writers who had Chuckles being trampled to death by an elephant in a parade. It seemed that Chuckles, as the parade's grand marshal, was dressed in a giant Peter the Peanut costume and was quickly shelled by a hungry pachyderm. At his funeral the minister said

"Chuckles the Clown brought pleasure to millions. The characters he created will be remembered by children and adults alike...Peter Peanut, Mr. Fee Fi Fo, Billy Banana and, my particular favorite, Aunt Yoo Hoo. And not just for the laughter that he provided. There was always some deeper meaning to whatever Chuckles did. And what did Chuckles ask in return? Not much. In his own words-'a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pant's."
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Linda....you and your dad would fit right in here. Its not that I think my mom was intentionally funny but husband and I have had some of the biggest laughs over what she did with my cremated grandmother.

When my grandmother died, my mom didnt know quite what to do with her so she just kept her in her house and periodically moved her around. She wasnt in an urn...just a box! When I went to pack up my mom to move her up to live with my I found my grandma in the box under my moms sink! Needless to say it was a shock.

I got mom (and grandma) to my house and there they lived. One day I had a friend of ours was sitting for my mom and was dusting above my tv and came across the box...freaked out when she opened it wondering what it was...oops!

Now I have two boxes...mom and grandma. We tease the boys that we are gonna give them all three of us...me, my mom and great grandma. LOL>
 

mattsmom27

Active Member
So glad your family can find laughter in trying times. What a gift!
The night my dear aunt (more like my mother) passed, we said our prayers and goodbyes at hospital and headed to a family friends house. Sitting with my brother, his g/f and my cousin (it was her mom who passed, on my cousins birthday to boot). We were all sort of lost and at a loss on anything to say etc. My cousin started giggling and we all thought she was a second away from losing it. She then said she was laughing picturing her mother being glad that while in hospital through Christmas (she passed early Jan) my aunt gave my cousin her credit cards and made her shop shop shop for special gifts on my aunts behalf for family members. She racked all of her cards to the limit, from her hospital bed!!! She had a few months before added a premium to her card allowing for the bills paid in full in event of her death. Knowing my aunt as I did, she WOULD be laughing at getting the last laugh at the expense of the "bloodsucking credit company leaches". We all ended up laughing our butts off at this. Just 2-3 hours after losing my aunt. I smile to this day remembering the gift of laughter she left us with at a time where it felt like a piece of all of us had passed.
I don't think your family is strange ... I think it is great.
I sure hope your 3 things are indeed out of the week and the rest of 2007 brings you and and all members of your extended family alot of joy and no more trauma.

Melissa
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Considering all the load your family has carried, I'm glad to hear that anyone is able to think past the gray and allow little miss sunshine to share your day once again. Even if the dog did give it up for the gipper...OMG I am still rolling.

Thanks for brightening MY day Linda. I needed it.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
You guys are a hoot!!! Just to add a little irony to the week - I went back for my first piano lesson in over 2 weeks. Just guess what music I was assigned to learn.

Yup you guessed it - Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen. I looked at my instructor & said "you've got to be kidding".

Suz, I remember that episode of MTM. It was hilarious. :rofl:
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Linda, I am so glad that your family can find humor even in the dark times you've all been through lately. It can make all the difference. I think you would all fit right into my family too! My two cousins buried their dad with a deck of cards and several cigars tucked into his pocket and a bottle of Jack Daniels cradled in his arm! He would have LOVED it! My mother in law was cremated also ... my sister in law solved the problem of what to do with her ashes by tossing her off a cliff into the ocean in the little town where she used to live. Now she's having a wonderful time telling everyone about the time she she tossed her mother in law off a cliff!

And when my cousins' sweet, funny, lovable, prankster of a husband passed away right after Thanksgiving ... he got the "Irish wake" he always wanted! He was NOT Irish, but it didn't matter! He had donated his body to a medical school and a memorial service was held about two weeks after he died, attended by over 500 relatives and friends. He had been a member of our family for over forty years and after the service they had a dinner at the church and everyone sat around for hours telling funny stories of all the jokes he had played on them, the pranks he had played, some going back forty years, and everyone left laughing. This is the man who, when their kids were little, had to run out the day before Easter to buy candy for the kids' Easter baskets because his wife was confined to bed with a difficult fourth pregnancy. He came back with bags and bags of left-over Christmas candy, with the explanation of ... "But it was ON SALE!" Thirty years later they still talk about the year the Easter Bunny filled their baskets with candy canes!

And OMG Suz, I thought I was the only one who remembered the "Chuckles the Clown" funeral episode on Mary Tyler Moore! I remember watching it the first time and laughing till I CRIED! It was so funny how at first the men had been laughing at the absurdity of how Chuckles had met his sad demise and Mary was just horrified that they were laughing. Then, by the time of the funeral, the men were over it and were properly somber faced ... and SHE got the giggles! One of the funniest episodes ever!
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Linda,
Our family has that twisted sense of humor-I think it's a good thing. It's a good release!

Suz-I totally remember the Chuckles episode-it is a riot!
 
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