A Little Laughter

Bronx Zoo NY. Copyright 2012:  singeronthesand

...then our mouth was filled with laughter...

Psalm 126:2

We have a wonderful community newspaper, The Village News, that comes out once a week on Wednesday.  The newest edition contains a great story - truth or anecdote - in the column by Walter "JR" Wilson.  Because "Laughter is good medicine," I thought I would share it with you this morning.  I hope your Thursday is bright with laughter and joy.

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs.  Recently, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man.  He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back country.  As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.  I finally arrived an hour late and saw that the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.  There were only the diggers and crew left, and they were eating lunch.

I felt really bad and apologized to the men for being late.  I went to the side of the grave and look down.  The vault lid was already in place.  I didn't know what else to do, so I started playing.  The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.  I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.  When I began "Amazing Grace," the workers began to cry.  They wept, I wept, we all wept together. 

When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and headed for the car.  As I was opening the trunk, I heard one of the workers say, "I've never seen nothin' like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years!"