For when he's hungry, for when he's lonely, for when it's nighttime...

This is a line from one of the 80's best movies, Poltergeist.  It is what Carol Ann says as she is preparing her canary, Tweety, for burial.  My sis and I LOVED this movie.  It scared the bejesus out of us but we would watch it over & over & over.

It was funny when my mom recently reminded me of this.  She thought they were burying a fish.  I told her I knew it was a bird.  In fact when the mom in the movie finds the dead bird she says, "shit Tweety why couldn't you die on a school day".  I'm going to guess that she would have pulled the replacement bird trick instead of telling Carol Ann the bird died.

I just re-watched this movie around Halloween.  I saw the whole burial ritual Carol Ann performs.  For when he's hungry, she puts a piece of licorice with Tweety.  For when he's lonely she puts a Polaroid picture of her, her brother & the dog.  For when it's nighttime, she covers him with a paper napkin.  They then close the lid of his cigar box casket.

I really like this morbid part of the movie & it just dawned on me why I like it so much.  My mom does this every day of her life for other people.  She is a funeral director and no she doesn't bury pets. She helps people figure out the proper things to say or do when their loved one dies.

People often ask me how my mom does that job.  She has worked at the funeral home for 32 years.  Since I was 8 years old.  I barely remember her doing another thing.  But when I'm asked how she does it I usually say,"can you imagine a better personality for that job?".

I have had numerous friends get to see my mom in action when their relative has died.  They always tell me thank God for her and all her help.  I tell them that's just what she does.  All in a days work.

Now she will tell you some days are good & some are bad.  A day where a 95 year old great-grandmother who traveled the world that dies makes an easier send off then a child or a suicide.  Either way my mom is their to hold their hand and say their final goodbye.

It's just who she is, I don't know how she does it but I'm glad she does.  She is damn good at her job.