Mortuary Request's-------
* Just one more time, please

By Ruthe
10-2003

Preface-----

This is a touching true life experience, and seldom gets told or even talked about---- my daughter *Lynn who has remembered these sad request's that would come to me has asked me to share this little story with my fellow members and friends here on * Write A Senior Citizen Web-site.

A phase in my life I don't like talking about but a memory that constantly is on my mind, I think it is worth sharing with my readers to read and then for them to realize why I don't usually discuss this particular subject with anyone--- not even * a family member.

There are many and unusual things that come into a beauty operators life, we are kinda' like a hair dresser, a nurse, a baby sitter, a confidant and so many more titles that I could list.

My new story here today that I am about to have you read happened to me and so very often while operating my small home beauty salon of many years ago. I must be very careful in telling my story correctly, fortunately my great memory has been a * God's Gift, and I am so grateful for my long life of many beautiful memories that I now dwell on, most of them are happy ones with a few very sad and very hard one's to forget. Please enjoy my story here today.

During my working days as an owner and operator of my beauty salon I dearly loved all my customers and especially my many older ones with their kindness, consideration and their unique and quiet little ways of showing so much wisdom and respect---- my dear little white haired ladies with so much to offer but with no one wanting to listen. I cringe now while remembering so many of them and how each day I wish I could fix their hair, *Just one more time---

My telephone was constantly ringing and so many messages usually asking to set up appointments, some changing their time etc. one though is a very special request and it is the story I will be sharing with you today. These messages was requests from my church members, friends, neighbors, and customers when a death would be taking a loved one from them, and was them asking for my services, their sad messages generally would be coming from a daughter saying---Ruthe, * my Mama died today---- she loved the way you fixed her hair all of these past years, could you possibly find it in your heart to fix it just one more time-- please? How could I or anyone ever refuse to do this for a dear loved one and one I had known for years? It was very difficult for me especially for my first time to do this--- something I had never done before, not knowing how the funeral homes was equipped with all necessary supplies and equipment., wondering what room and where I would find this deceased person and how was I to go about to style her hair? While waiting a short time a nice lady come to me and knowing my name said she was expecting me, she led me to a room where they did all make ups, it was a large beautiful but cold room with very nice facilities, as I entered this room I saw my little lady, lying so quietly on a cold slab with a white sheet completely covering her whole body except for her head, I started to shake so hard and with my lips tightly sealed, I silently prayed to God for help, I was a complete wreck--- but within a short while I had regained my composure and had been given great strength to continue with my services--- everything went well from then on, I was very proud of my finished mission and had nice compliments from several of the ladies who assisted me.

The staff in this funeral home showed nothing but genuine kindness, being grateful and giving me much self assurance, knowing this was something I had never done before ever in my life, and they all knew I was very nervous, but they praised me so kindly for doing this, giving this gift from my heart, and my last gift to my beautiful customer, and this particular customer happens to be my very own *Aunt Christine, and how I dearly love her, a very gracious lady and only 45 years old succumbing so young to Cancer, how beautiful I made her look for her family and to her many friends before she was put to rest. I was able to shed all my tears, fears and anxieties and my heart felt so good knowing that I did something wonderful today for her, several people that had heard about this would ask me how was you able to do it?

My answer was-- this has not been easy for me, but my heart says I must, so now it's just one more and a very different one for my book of life experiences, the book is getting pretty full but so much wisdom one more time for me, so I must consider it to be just another days work as a * Beauty Operator, and a human being with *Cast Iron Steel Nerves---

I have never resented doing this for my beautiful little ladies, and there was so many that followed, I made them all more beautiful for their demise and it gave me complete solidarity, a purpose I had felt I couldn't do.

I am a Senior myself now very contented and so proud to have had these great experiences, even though I have had many nightmares these past years doing the sad requests that was given to me, but I feel blessed that God gave me a certain ability to go through life and to be gifted in having the courage and the desire to always help others, not only in the good times but also in the bad times.

I do hope you've enjoyed just another one of my wonderful little memories of my past, and as I bring this to a close---my sincere wish is that when you lose a loved one through death you will be convinced that they have been given the utmost with very compassionate care from loving individuals----plus the genuine professional and excellent staff at our * Funeral Homes.

May God bless you all and give you good health and much happiness in your days to come.

Truly yours, Ruthe