THE OPEN WINDOW

Deep saddness....numbness.....disbelief.....she is not really there...........

These are some of the emotions of a new widow on her way to the funeral Mass of her soulmate of over 40 years. She was surrounded by family and friends. She was the ultimate hostess and mother, making sure that everyone was o.k and taken care of......This was not real. Tomorrow she would wake up to find out that this was a bad dream.

He was to be cremated. They did not have a burial plot. They thought that they had time. YEARS......

Little did they know that when they embraced, prior to leaving for the hospital, that he would not return. He hugged his daughter and said that he would see her in a few days.

He did not want his wife to drive him to the hospital at 4:O0 A.M. and told her to go back to bed. He would see her in the recovery room later that morning. A friend of his drove him to the hospital.

His surgeon told her that his operation was a success. BUT.....one hospital infection after another set in and then pneumonia. Her soulmate was dead.

Bill was a successful, unpretentious man of great humility. He was a good man. He was someone who did not want people to make a fuss over him. During his career, he had received much publicity and awards. He would credit others for his success. This was so like him and part of his charm.

When word of his death became known, people wanted to pay their respects. Most of their family and friends lived in other states but made arrangements to be either at his viewing and/or funeral Mass.

Chris made an appointment at a well respected funeral home to make final arrangements. The funeral director shortly became aware of who Bill was in life. He made a few suggestions and Chris gave him the go a head to do what was appropriate.

His funeral was far more than he would have planned for himself...he would have said, "why the fuss".......lighten up....He had an elegant send off.

Chris rushed from the house into the waiting limousine. She normally did not carry house keys. Her door opener was programmed to a device in her car. But, she was not driving.

After the Mass and reception, many out of town guests along with family and friends came back to their home to visit. Chris realized at this point that she had locked herself out. Numerous cars were arriving. Various people were walking around the house and looking for a way in. The place was locked up. No one could get in.

As people were milling around the front yard, one young man, noticed a second story window open a slight way. He brought this to Chris's attention. She shook her head and said that he was mistaken. That was her office window and it was never opened. It was always locked.

That window had a view that she enjoyed and so she had placed her leather top antique desk in front of it. She took great care of that desk and worked at it many hours during the day. She never opened the window. It was difficult to reach over the large desk.

But sure enough, the window was open a bit. ONLY THAT WINDOW......

Some of the men borrowed a tall ladder from a neighbor. Mike climbed the ladder to the cheers of those watching and was able to crawl through the window.

This diversion broke the somber mood of the people who gathered to continue the celebration of Bills life and to tell "Bill stories"

One could almost hear Bill say, "this is more like it"....."no more pomp and ceremony ". He always had a way to put people at ease.....Could this have been his way of making us laugh? LETTING US KNOW THAT HE WAS WATCHING OVER US?

Who opened that specific window? The window has been locked ever since......It was always locked before.........

Everyone exclaimed! "Bill did it"