Death and Life with perspective from Little Farmboys

Death is a part of life, as the preacher pointed out, everyone and everything will die.  It's not a new concept on the farm.  Death is a hiccup in a day.  This past month our family had a Grandfather die.  And while death is totally accepted, a loved one's death is more than the hiccup, it's a full day of sadness.  We had many conversations leading up to the funeral with the Farmboy Trio (in particular).  For whatever reason, little farmboys are a bit more socially ungraceful...conversations included topics such as:
"grave-farting" : I don't care if little Johnny said your grandfather will haunt you, don't do it!
"booger-slurping-during-prayer": Hold a tissue and blow at an appropriate time.
"funeral-apparel-commenting": I don't care how big you think anyone looks, black is slimming, don't say a word!
You laugh, you snicker, but if you were the Wife taking the Farmboy Trio off the "compound" you'd be having the same conversations!
Funeral day came and went without any large debacles, we found the missing shoes, ties were clipped and knotted, syrup wiped from faces.  The Farmboy Trio made a quiet entrance and exit-and the Wife breathed a sigh of relief.  The general feeling throughout the boys was one of understanding, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21b)
The acceptance came in smaller doses:
"Grandfather is not going to be coming to the beach next summer, he's in Heaven."-Keeper of the Flame
"Grandfather is not in pain anymore, God's prepared a yacht for him to live on."-Dear Farmer's Shadow
But the best comment was from the Pied Piper of the Farmboy Trio the morning after the funeral...he sat down to a bowl of beloved sticky-oatmeal after waking up tired from busy days, slightly on the wrong side of the bed, and said, "Well, Grandfather's dead. He's in Heaven with God.  And he's eating a better breakfast than I am!"
While we miss the departed-Grandfather, we are still here and living.  Sticky-oatmeal is a part of life on earth, there are better breakfasts in Heaven to come!