Murphy’s Law

It has to be Murphy’s Law.

Today our rector, Paul, went on holiday leaving me to take the Sunday services and the Wednesday Communions for the next couple of weeks. He hadn’t had a funeral for several weeks, and there were none in the pipeline.

Just before lunch I had a call from the funeral directors. An elderly lady has died, and the family would like the funeral to be next Friday. How’s that for Murphy’s Law?

Since I retired, I’ve got out of the way of being constantly on the alert for funerals and juggling my time around them. It took a while today to decide how I could manage to shuffle my engagements without giving them up altogether, but I think I’ve done it. Now all that remains is to contact the family (they were out when I rang the first time and engaged when I rang the second time, but third time lucky, I hope) visit them to ascertain what they would like at the funeral, sort out an organist, prepare the service, write the oration, and deliver it all.

Tomorrow I’m taking three services, and the Communion service on Wednesday is followed by some guests (who also rang up today) coming unexpectedly for lunch.

And on Monday, which happens to be our wedding anniversary, I’m going to the hospital with Ed to find out whether – or when – they are going to repair his aortic aneurysm.

Don’t you just love retirement? It’s so restful with nothing to do.