How's that for a title? hee hee
Well this morning I was scheduled to go work at our Church office. When I got there I found out that there would be a funeral there today, luckily the funeral would be after I was due to go home...but there was set up involved.
Mostly I had to answer the phones and give people directions to the Church. I found out after one call that whomever had placed the obituary had not put the entire street name for the Church (which is why folks were calling since they couldn't look it up themselves.) I also had to turn on the lights in the Sanctuary and unlock the doors to the Church.
And then they brought in the body and set it up in the Narthex.
This isn't the first body that I've seen...all have been in caskets though. I've seen those close to death before, that's a bit off putting as well. But after the morticians get the body ready it seems that instead of making it look better it looks pretty fake. I guess it's the makeup which instead of looking like real flesh looks more like my daughter's dolls...plastic and kinda orange looking. I know that the makeup is necessary as a body in it's natural state is rather grey looking, but I'm wondering in the is age of makeup miracles happening all the time why so orange?
Well after the body was all set up, our Pastor came and told the funeral directors that they needed to move it into the Sanctuary as the kids from the Pre-School downstairs might come up and see it there. Oops!
We had a delivery of office supplies and he saw the casket. At first he was a bit shocked but he quickly recovered and said it was a Church after all. Thank goodness it doesn't happen all that often at our Church...although I could probably stand to have a bit more experience.
TC said that she's seen some good and some bad makeup jobs. I am sure that is probably the case, it just seems odd that every one I've seen (all 3!) have been bad. Yeah, you read that right, I've only seen 3 bodies so far (I've seen a lot more on TV - I used to watch that show on E! about the funeral home). It should have been 4 but I chose to not take Darly to her grandfather's funeral. I know from the funerals that I have been to that I am terrible at them and I didn't want to expose Darly to me being a mess when she was just 2 years old. Yeah, the family gave me a hard time about it...but I don't have any regrets about it.
I've sadly had too much experience with dead bodies.
ReplyDeleteThat said, some morticians are really good at the makeup bit and some suck at it.
I would agree with the above comment that they must have the bad makeup. I've never seen a person done by a mortician though, only in their natural state. I didn't think they looked that grey, jut looked ... different but not necessarily where I think, oh that person is dead.
ReplyDeleteI have only seen one... and I didn't know him well enough to know if he looked fake!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't take a young child either. I think it would be too traumatic.
ReplyDeletekailani
An Island Life
I think that it's probably good that the body no longer looks real. It might help people with accepting that the person is no longer there.
ReplyDeleteWere you alone in the church with the body??? That might have creeped me out!
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I thought the whole thing was pretty funny! I can just see the poor delivery guy! I'm sure the last thing he thought he'd see was an open casket - complete with dead person - in the hallway! LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't do funerals well, either. I'm too empathetic with the family. Heck, I cry at commercials! We had a well known and very well liked parishioner die suddenly last year. I was an absolute mess at the wake and I really didn't know him all that well. But, the wife and the children were such a mess... I became a blubbering idiot... Even my husband was a little shocked. He let me leave at communion. :-)
I don't blame you for keeping Darly home and for your not going. You do what is best for you.
xo
LBC
It seems the older I get the more funerals I have to attend. I don't think you ever get completely comfortable looking at the deceased whether it's a good or bad makeup job.
ReplyDeleteAs for children going to funerals, I'm opposed to it although I'm not sure how traumatizing it is for them. At Hubby's grandfather's funeral, his 3-year-old twin nephews were there and one of them looked into the casket and said, "Yep, he's really dead."
Okay, this gets my vote for weirdest post I have read today.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandpa Perry looked bad, but my Grandpa Lindner looked better than he had in years! I want that guy to come do my makeup every day.
ReplyDeleteI also saw Grandpa Perry and my friend Janet's Grammy Jo before their makeup. They just looked like they were asleep. Sick and asleep.
When I go, don't even bother. Just ditch my body somewhere and have a party.