Funeral for a Friend

OK, "friend" may be overstating it somewhat, since we just met him this morning. "He" is the beautiful, blue-tailed lizard (gecko?) we found this morning. He was laying smack in the middle of the mauve-colored carpet that belongs to our friends, for whom we are house sitting/cat feeding. I'm thinking he was the victim of the bored-all-day cat and was a welcome plaything for lonely Charlie, who must have had fun with him.

When the kids saw him, they immediately scooped him up and brought his lifeless little body home.

They planned an impromptu funeral in the backyard. Completely their idea. They even made little headstones out of some of our beach collection. New Jersey comes through again. Who would have thought?
It was wonderful to see them getting along with one another for so long. They had a common mission. A goal. And they worked toward it. Preparations were remarkably complete. They thought about what they should use to line his grave (toilet paper, natch), where they should dig the hole (in the pile of mulch behind the shed), and what they could use to honor his gravesite (a snail shell won).



They even invited me outside so I could say a few words in honor of Mr. Lizrd, since they have never been to a funeral and didn't know what to say. It was a very somber occasion. They were very serious about it. I wasn't quite sure what to say, either, never having been to a lizard funeral myself. I just said he was a brave lizard, doing his job, protecting other creatures from dangerous bugs. And I asked God to accept him into heaven and keep him safe.

R.I.P. indeed, Mr. Lizard. You certainly brought peace into my house this afternoon, and for that, I am thankful.