A wife and husband, both well over 70, were known in their neighborhood for their endless joking and playful ribbing and it was sometimes hard to tell love from humor. From the outside, it looked like everything between Annie and Fran was constant arguing and teasing, yet those who knew them could see it was the usual way partners communicate after so many years together.
Among all their jokes, one in particular was loved by the whole community. Generally, the husband would tease with his jokes and add, “As soon as I di*, I’ll come back as a ghost and haunt everyone in the family for a long time!” It became a common catchphrase—with its funny and cute charm, everyone usually laughed at it or groaned, based on how many times they heard it.
As can be expected, time played a role as well. When he was 98, following a joyful and richly lived life, the husband died. Many family members, friends and neighbors who remembered the old couple came to the funeral. Visual Sharing the day brought tears, yet there was still plenty of laughter right at the end as he hoped for.
While they stood silently beside the casket, one thoughtful neighbor said to the widow: “You shouldn’t be concerned he will come back and haunt you if he sees you talking to anyone.” It reminded everyone of the past joke and people near him weren’t sure what might come up from him next.
At once, the widow lifted her head, looked the neighbor straight in the eye and answered him with a grin, “Let him test his luck. I buried him with his face to the earth, so he won’t ever need to ask the way out. Everything happened at the ideal moment. Everything about the delivery was amazing.
She was able to give her late husband a one-more-time joke—the climax of a familiar joke, finished with love and fun. It went beyond a moment of laughter; it was a kind of tribute, arising from their many years of shared humor and it served as a quiet farewell, created in the language they always shared. At that instant, full of laughter, their story found a new life and was always remembered with a smile.