Bright side

I loved Jackie Bird’s comments on funerals. I think they’re mainly for the comfort of the bereaved. After all, we don’t know what the bloke in the coffin is thinking, though perhaps June Field would have something to say about that.

My husband and I went to a funeral recently and it turned out to be the best day out we’d had in a long time. The deceased was a man with learning difficulties who had passed suddenly. We hadn’t known him well, but we were there to support his relatives.

Nature had some input – some would attribute it to a higher power – when the coffin was taken from the hearse, a little white butterfly flew out with it. There was no service, just a recording of Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, a song the deceased loved. The rest of the time was spent reminiscing about him. There were tears, but plenty of laughter. I don’t think he could have wished for a better send-off.

Mary Cook, Gainsborough