my good deed for the day

If I ever arrive at the Pearly Gates:

Saint Peter: It says here that you once helped a homeless man carry his heavy bags for several blocks.

me, beaming with pride: Yes, sir. For as the Bible says, in Matthew 25:40...

Saint Peter: ...and then as soon as you got home, you washed your hands for two full minutes instead of the standard 30 seconds.

progress

When my maternal grandmother died, my uncle Jim located my male cousins and siblings who had made it to her funeral and asked if they could be pallbearers. My cousins and brothers lined up on both sides of the casket.

Then my uncle Hugh called out, "Hey boys, it's the 21st century. How about we include Thea?"

I got to be a pallbearer, which was something I really wanted to do.

After the ceremony, I hugged my uncle and said, "Thank you for including me."

He hugged me back and said, quietly, "There was an odd number of people. It was uneven."