It was a movingly sad day for the Draper family today.
Our two grandsons had to bravely convey the bad news to Pat and myself. They thoughtfully waited for us to sit down before sharing this horrible news.
What could bring such sorrow to our six- and three-year-old boys? Brace yourselves, friends, but Glub-Glub the gold fish is history. Dead! No longer able to swim the glassed-in fish bowl at his (maybe her) leisure. No longer pretending that he was our answer to the movie Jaws.
Why do these things have to happen in life? At breakfast Glub-Glub was full of energy as he swam with grace and thrilling the eyes of young, loving and caring boys.
At noon he had the same familiar fish food, which to us would be equivalent to a peanut butter and jam sandwich. Although there wasn’t an autopsy, his Death Certificate reads that our precious Glub-Glub died of gluttony. My wife is certain that my certificate will be the same.
I’m sure that you’ll understand that because of COVID-19 it was a private family funeral and he was planted under the shade of an old oak tree.
Our grandsons tried to comfort Nanna and Poppa by assuring us that Glub-Glub is now, and for all eternity, with Bubbles. Bubbles was Glub-Glub’s predecessor who died with the same symptoms.
People experience grieving in different ways, and there’s no right or wrong way for this to happen. I’m sure my mourning process will hit me at a much later date.
Since we’re on the topic of death, let me give you all some great advice, and it’s about funeral directors. Why this happens I don’t really know, but it bothers me.
Funeral directors need to be brought to task. They seem delighted in making the deceased sound older than they really are. Example from the obituary: “Rusty Draper died today in his 80th year.” Rusty, in reality, was only 79, but they’re not satisfied until they include, “in his 80th year.”
One more bit of pre-cemetery advice. Before you enter into the golden sunset, you decide what is etched on your tombstone. I have warned my family not to have ROSS carved into that piece of rock. I told them that my vast fortune left in my will might have a few stipulations.
Rusty Draper is well-known by many as the long-time morning man at local radio station CFOR, as a pastor and raconteur who never misses an opportunity to chew the fat.
