He Would Have Been Proud

The Beach Boys had a very popular song during the sixties entitled, “Do You Wanna Dance?” As I have mentioned on this blog before - most of us are too inhibited to dance. We may want to but we don’t do it because we are afraid we will look foolish.

I bet I’ve told a hundred people in my life if they would do whatever I was asking them to do at that moment that I would dance at their wedding, cry at their funeral , and bury them free.

Of course I was always kidding. Especially at the “bury them free” part. But I actually had to do that a few times in my life.

But my friend Janice Parker held to her promise today at Rannie Gaultney’s funeral service.

Since I was sitting on the platform behind the podium I knew she was not kidding about doing what she was telling the packed house she was about to do. I saw her slip off her shoes. She said she had promised Rannie that if he died before she did, she would dance at his funeral.

And by golly she did it. She did the Holy jig right there in front of God and everybody.

I’ve been to a whole lot of funerals in my life. But I never saw someone dance at a funeral. But Janice did today. And she really didn’t worry one bit if some in the audience thought she had lost her mind.

I actually thought it was neat.

And one thing is for certain: Rannie Gaultney would have loved it. He never did anything the normal way anyway. I don’t know if Rannie was being still in heaven or not today. But I have a feeling he joined in and danced with his long time friend this morning.

Rannie left the main stream church many years ago and founded this church where his funeral service was held today. This is not a regular ho-hum church and this was not a regular ho-hum funeral service.
And Rannie was not a regular ho-hum person.

He was different. His church is different. His funeral was different. And he left his world different than when he found it.

Yep the Right Reverend went out in style today. His friend, Janice, made sure he did.

He would have been proud.