my two cents
Debbie Baigrie and Noah
The Woman and the Fork
T
here was a young woman who had been diagnosed
with a terminal illness and had been given three
months to live.
So as she was getting her things ‘in order,’
she contacted her Pastor and had him come to
her house to discuss certain aspects of her final
wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung
at the service, what scriptures she would like
read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was
preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly
remembered something very important to her.
‘There’s one more thing,’ she said excitedly.
‘What’s that?’ came the Pastor’s reply.
‘This is very important,’ the young woman continued. ‘I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.’
The Pastor stood looking at the young woman,
not knowing quite what to say.
That surprises you, doesn’t it?’ the young woman
asked.
‘Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,’
said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. ‘My grandmother once
told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried
to pass along its message to those I love and those who are
in need of encouragement.
In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always
remember that when the dishes of the main course were
being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say,
‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that
something better was coming...like velvety chocolate
cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful,
and with substance!’
So, 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 I want you to tell
them: ‘Keep your fork. The best is yet to come.’
The Pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as
he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this
would be one of the last times he would see her before
her death.
At the funeral people were walking by the young
woman’s casket and they saw the cloak she was
wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over
and over, the Pastor heard the question, ‘What’s with
the fork?’ And over and over he smiled.
During his message, the Pastor told the people
of the conversation he had with the young woman
shortly before she died. He also told them about the
fork and about what it symbolized to her. 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. Cherish the time you have, and the memories
you share with friends and loved ones— and the next time you
reach down for your fo ɯ