Humor and Funerals... what a weird pairing.

 

I didn't realize how close to home Midge's first chapter "Bury my Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's" would hit. I have been dating my boyfriend Jake for almost five years now. We met at the age of seventeen and have been together ever since. While Jake is great, and my best friend, blah blah, what makes dating Jake a hundred times better is his family. Immediately, Jake's dad, mom, and two younger brothers became a very important and special part of my life. Weekends were always spent at Jake's house around the dinner table as Jake's dad would prepare us a gourmet home-cooked Sunday dinner meal. Being surrounded by a family of boys is nothing less of entertaining. However, the relationship I formed with Jake's mom is one of my most special memories. Johnna was nothing short of incredible–smart, witty, creative, and extremely fashionable. I always looked forward to accompanying her on errands, rummaging through her massive closet with her digging up family heirlooms, or even just laying in her bed with her watching Netflix and listening to her tell me all about her childhood spent growing up in Texas as a Mexican and Native American young girl. 

So, when I woke up to a text in October of my sophomore year of college telling me that Johnna lost the battle to her ongoing illness, it immediately became one of the worst days of my life. The memory of her funeral is something I can still envision in its entirety–loads of people shuffling in and out, the look on Jake's fathers face, and my dad squeezing my hand as I went up to the casket and said goodbye one more time. I know that Johnna would be annoyed that we were all so upset rather than eating, spending time together, and celebrating her life, but how can you do that when one of the most special people in the world is gone? However, like Midge's mothers funeral there were still small bursts of smiles and laughs. Johnna's sister, Aunt B would tell us a story that would make us laugh, at the funeral reception my dad kept bringing all the younger kids golf balls that he would find outside, and on the night of her funeral we sat around Jake's front-porch and passed out Halloween candy. None of this brought Johnna back, but she had an incredible sense of humor so I know that wherever she is, she was looking down and smiling too. 

"We were two Indian women, laughing until our bellies ached, spitting death right in the eye" (Midge 6). Midge's ability to jump back-and-forth between her mother's funeral and the months leading up to her death capture a type of story that we can all relate to. From her mother insisting on giving her all of her jewelry, to joking about being buried at Disneyland, SeaWorld, or Chuck E. Cheese's, shows the strength of mothers and their love for their family. While Midge's humor is not as loud, raunchy, and detectable as Irby's or Seadris' in this chapter, it is still there, just in a more intimate form. For me, I found great comfort in how Midge delivered her humor, as she still kept the upmost respect for her mother and her last days. It reminded me of all the small humorous moments I found during Johnna's funeral. In some ways, it was therapeutic just to laugh for a second or reflect–a way to heal the gaping wound of grief. Unfortunately, funerals are a universal experience that we will all have to endure. Yet, it is and should be a celebration of life, and life is not complete without a little humor. So, Johnna I miss you and love you everyday, and maybe you've met Midge's mom, and can bond over your extensive jewelry collections. 

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