> >> There 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. But he also knew that the young woman had a better
> >> grasp
> >> of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be
> >> like
> >> than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and
> >> knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
> >>
> >> 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. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind
> >> you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very
> >> rare
> >> jewel. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an
> >> ear,
> >> they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to
> >> us.
> >> Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for
> >> them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be
> >> their time to 'Keep your fork.'
> >> Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share ... being friends
> >> with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND even if it means sending
> >> back to the person who sent it to you.
> >> And keep your fork ready.
> >>
>