We were burying her ashes in Jimmy and Barbara's back yard. Aunt Barbara said she thought we should say the Lord's prayer. Steve and I knew better-Mom was a hardcore atheist. She'd given us a poem to read, if we wanted to read anything at all. My cousin Ronnie read it while my brother and I wept and buried her ashes underneath the rose bushes my aunt had picked up. Then Barbara suggested the Lord's prayer.
Like I said, we knew better. But we both decided to humor her.
We all linked hands and started reciting the prayer. At precisely the same moment we all took in a breathe to recite the next line, that breathe caught, and we all forgot the rest of the prayer. I don't know 'bout you, but if that wasn't mom saying, 'I'll be damned if you'll recite that crap at my funeral!', I don't know what was.
