a roll of toilet paper. the closer you get to the end the faster it goes......... a permissible humorous quote about death; the end of life can sometimes be coupled with comedy. There was that Seinfeld show about the character who wanted to attend his own funeral while he was still alive so he could hear both the the warm and the funny things people said about his life.
There are funny incidents about the end of life. I remember, for example, sitting with my friends and family in an extravagant, elaborate limousine with the lavish atmosphere coupled with music and wine. My jokes were so funny that I though I was beyond my capacity for giggling and humor. The whole setting was extraordinary...extraordinarily unusual, extraordinarily strange, more so as I felt myself performing and enjoying my solo humor. Yes, on the way to the funeral of my husband, I was recalling some of the funniest parts of our lives. Sharing stories and telling jokes did leave me feeling indisposed and quite unlike a grieving widow. I learned then, and have learned many times since then, that "laughter as much as tears are a part of grieving." (Ginger Brown) Humorous thoughts struck my sad heart. My laughter was as difficult to control as my subsequent tears and fears. My healing has come to me through both my sobbing and my laughter, Now, forty years since the death of my husband, I can control my emotions more predictably , but, laughter still brings health to my grieving soul.
I tell myself, and I also tell you, that laughter is neither taboo nor inappropriate at a difficult funeral. It may be one of many ways for us to cope with the reality of what is happening and with the pain of loss. This may be confusing to others but it is just one of many ways to defend against overwhelming emotions.