This issue
brings you
some amazing
stories of area
women and I
know you’ll enjoy
them all. We
are so thankful
for Julie, Brandi,
Dave and all
of the others
who share their
writing talents
with us and also
so very thankful
for the people that are willing to share their stories
with us for Her Voice.
I had a Her Voice reader send me this story to
share with you; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Man And A Fork
There was a young man who had been diagnosed
with a terminal illness and had been given three
months to live. As he was getting his things “in
order,” he contacted his Priest and had him come
to his house to discuss certain aspects of his final
wishes.
He told him which songs he wanted sung at the
service, what scriptures he would like read, and what
outfit he wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Priest was
preparing to leave when the young man suddenly
remembered something very important he wanted to
share. “There’s one more thing,” he said excitedly.
“What’s that?” came the Priest’s reply.
“This is very important,” the young man
continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right
hand.” The Priest stood looking at the young man,
not knowing what to say. “That surprises you, doesn’t
it?” the young man asked. “Well, to be honest, I’m
puzzled by the request,” said the Priest.
The young man explained that his grandmother
had once told him this story, and from that time
on he always tried to pass along its’ message to
4vHERVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2017
Meanderings
Hello Loyal Her Voice Readers!
Micki’s
those he loved and to those who might be in need of
encouragement.
The story his grandmother shared was that in all
of her years of attending socials and dinners, she
always remembered that when the dishes of the
main course were being cleared, someone would
inevitably lean over and say, ‘keep your fork’.
Grandma said it was her favorite part because
she knew that something better was coming…like
velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie.
Something wonderful, and with substance!
So the young man told the Priest, I just want
people to see me there in that casket with a fork in
my hand and I want them to wonder ‘What’s with the
fork?’
Then the young man asked the Priest to tell them:
‘Keep your fork…the best is yet to come.’
The Priest’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he
hugged the young man good-bye. He knew this would
be one of the last times he would see him before his
death.
But he also knew that the young man had a better
grasp of heaven than he did. He had a better grasp
of what heaven would be like than many people
twice his age, with twice as much experience and
knowledge.
He KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young
man’s casket and they saw the suit he was wearing
and the fork placed in his right hand. Over and over,
the Priest heard the question, ‘What’s with the fork?’
And over and over he smiled.
During his message, the Priest told the people of
the conversation he had with the young man shortly
before he died. He also told them about the fork and
about what it symbolized to him.
He told the people how he could not stop thinking
about the fork and told them that they probably
would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for
your fork, let it remind you, ever so gently, that the
best is yet to come.
Take care my friends,