Laugh until you snort and cry

Today was an epic day with my family. We gathered to celebrate my mom's 86th birthday, my daughter's 22nd birthday and my niece's half birthday. Poor Erin was born on December 23rd, so she always gets ripped off at her birthday time. We decided to celebrate her half birthday with her grandma and cousin.

The food was great, as were the watermelon slushies. We noshed, played cards, had a great dinner and generally goofed around. The topic of conversation came around to my dad and how much we miss him, since he passed away almost three years ago.

Daddy was a veteran of WWII and Korea in the Navy. After he passed away, Mom, my sisters and I thought a burial at sea would be appropriate for him. And it was. He was actually buried at sea very close to the place where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in the Battle of Leyte Gulf - the largest naval battle of all time.

Here's where things get funny. We started talking about the burial at sea and we watched the ceremony that the US Navy sent us. It was beautiful and solemn. The ship was at a dead stop at sunset, the chaplain said some very nice words, the deck was crowded with sailors and here came my dad out, in a red granola bar box.

After Daddy was cremated, my sister, Jeanie took on the task of the burial at sea thing. We all thought the South Pacific was perfect, since he spent so much time there. After much research, she shipped his cremains (in the granola bar box) off to Pearl Harbor. The box was stored in the morgue until the USS Ruben James went on a one year tour, with our dad on board.

Jeanie was going to put the ashes in one of the boxes our dad had made, but wanted to save the wooden box my dad made. Plus she figured a biodegradable box would be better. Heck, maybe they would've put the ashes in a more presentable box. Nope.

We watched the video again today. The Chaplain said his words, the sailor brought the granola bar box out and placed it on the plank thing they use. The Chaplain said more and then "we commit our brother, Clyde Harris to sea" and BOOM the red box slipped into the ocean. After that they gave a 21 gun salute and played taps and then there was a flag ceremony.

We've all seen this video several times and we all get choked up and bawl when they dump the box into the sea. Today? When they dumped that granola bar box into the briny deep, we all laughed our heads off.

I asked my sister "what the hell were you thinking sending Daddy off to Pearl Harbor in a granola bar box?'
She said the ashes fit and she didn't want to waste one of the nice wooden boxes he had made.

And so we all laughed until we snorted and cried because it was just so ridiculous. We figure the sailors on the US Ruben James must think the family of Clyde Harris are a bunch of clueless rubes to send him to his final resting place in a granola bar box.

For the record, my dad loved granola bars and he was there with us today. He would've laughed his ass off.

It's so nice to be able to remember my beloved dad with laughter and not tears.

Rest in peace in the briny deep, Daddy. We all miss you and love you and we are still quoting your silly stories and still laughing. We'll never stop laughing. You gave us the gift of humor and I thank you for that.