Attending Your Own Viewing

First off, I still haven't heard from Wren about her prize in my contest. Wren, if you are out there, please send me an email at klmaw@aol.com. Thanks!

On to today's post. (Aren't you just trembling with anticipation?)

Over the weekend my parents were invited to attend a surprise viewing for a dear friend. Why was this a surprise? Well, for two reasons: this friend was still living, and she didn't know about the somber event.

Let me explain. Her hubby, who is a practical jokester, decided to go all out for his wife's fiftieth birthday. And by all out, yes, I do mean he staged his own wife's viewing as a surprise.

She came home to find the house decorated for a funeral. A real casket loomed in the front room. Pictures chronicling her life stood on easels around the house. A register book lay ready for guests to sign in and give their condolences. And large funeral arrangements of flowers--dead flowers--surrounded the casket. To top this all off, a sign sat by the front door that read, Please enter with reverence. And a companion sign inside the house read, Please join us in mourning Cindy's youth.

How did this remarkable woman handle this? With grace and humor. She sat beside the casket as the guests arrived and went through the funeral receiving line. She smiled and laughed as she accepted black-wrapped gifts and black balloons. She didn't even cart her hubby out of the house in the casket.

What does this have to do with writing? And, yes, it really does have something to do with it, I promise.

As a writer, you have to be willing to attend your own viewing sometimes. Well, your manuscript's viewing anyway. And just like how my mother's friend wasn't dead yet, it might not be time to actually bury the thing, but you may need to sit back and listen with a smile as friends and strangers stop by to review it.

The best thing about this is, most viewers/critiquers will have some great things to say about your manuscript's life. They will also have some less happy things to remember, and since you still have time left before it enters the coffin, you can fix those problem areas. True it can be a little awkward to still be living at your own viewing, but what an opportunity! It's like you get to cheat death and rewrite your manuscript's life. How great is that?

Have you learned to accept critiques with grace and humor? Are you ready to attend your own viewing? I am.

Please Don't Be Offended If I Bring Dog food To Your Funeral

Sometimes you just know you'd be great friends with someone. Even if you've never met them, you know this person must be sharing your brain, or perhaps may be a kindred spirit. Yes, I stole the kindred spirit thing from Anne of Green Gables because Anne rocks.

Over the weekend, I heard a story that made me grin for days. I'm still grinning. I've never met the person in the story, but she's my kind of lady. Here's the story.

My friend's grandma's friend (are you following that, or do I need to go over it again?) passed away. Grandma had spent many happy years with this friend and wanted to show her love by bringing something delicious to the dinner after the funeral. This fine woman decided to bring a pie, probably because pies are sweet and straight from Heaven and reminded her of her friend much more than rolls or funeral potatoes. And yes, here in Utah we serve a dish called funeral potatoes. It's good, so don't diss our dish.

Anywho, Grandma went to the store and purchased a pie. While at the store, she also purchased some dog food. Then she drove to the church and dropped off the pie, went home to change and feed her dog. When she opened the sack, both she and the dog were surprised. No dog food. What was in the sack? You guessed it--pie.

At this point most people would probably freak. I know I'd be tempted to say a few choice words, but not Grandma. She threw back her head and laughed. Don't you love her?

Amid her belly chuckles, she had a heart-to-heart with her friend, explaining everything. Can't you see the friend on the other side laughing, too? Grandma then jumped in the car and rushed to the church, because even if her friend would have got a kick out of the mistake, she didn't want to offend or injure any tender family feelings.

To her immense relief the "pie" was still in the bag. (Until now.)

When I heard this story I knew Grandma was my kind of people. I want to be the kind of person who loves her family and friends, loves to lend a helping hand, but can get a good laugh over her own mistakes. Now, my own family and friends can witness that I make a ton of mistakes, so please don't be offended if I bring dog food to your funeral. And if I do, please laugh with me about it.