Please! Don't Wear Black to My Funeral

Our parish/school community has had an abundant number of funerals this year. Three current or former students, several parents of students, and many older parishioners have died in the past 12 months. It has been a bit overwhelming for us.

One thing in common at all of these funerals was the black mourning clothes. Now, I don't take anything away from the sorrow and pain surrounding these mourners. I would just like it to be different at my funeral.

The way I see it, I will have, with God's grace, reached my goal: HEAVEN! (ok, more likely purgatory but still.) I will not be mourning.

I would like my funeral to be a celebration. Folks rarely wear black when they are celebrating. Celebrate my liberation from the bonds of earth. Celebrate my entry into the Kingdom. Celebrate the hug that I receive from Christ when He welcomes me. (He knows this is my fondest desire.) Celebrate the life I lived.

I want a rainbow at my funeral in the form of all those I love wearing their favorite celebratory color. (My favorites are red, green and blue.) Sure, you can cry if you need to. But please, make sure the tissue is colorful, too!