Happy Trails

I realized something last week when I made my second trip to the same mortuary in two years and that is…it’s not a very upbeat, joyful place to be. The lovely array of homemade cookies aside, its liken to an episode of the Twilight Zone where everyone speaks in slow motion with disturbing solemn looks on their faces, and quite frankly, that does nothing to boost my morale or my attempt at celebrating the lives of those I love.

Yes, I said celebrating, not mourning. We have two distinct choices when we lose a loved one…we can either be grateful for the time we had with them or we can curl up in the fetal position and feel sorry for ourselves. We can wallow in self-pity or we can find humor in the transplant team asking if our beloved “had or was ever exposed to mad cow disease.”  We can walk slow and breathe deep or act like complete lunatics making others our emotional punching bags. Just like being happy is a choice, so is how we remember and honor those we love.

As I found myself surrounded by the same drama that tends to plague many families when they lose a loved one I was struck with a brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea…The Happy Trails Mortuary. Upon entering patrons will be greeted with a smile, (no hugs as they tend to cause emotional outbursts) a glass of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. The staff will be cheerful, helpful and eager to assist with your party planning needs. Life, after all should always be celebrated!

The Happy Trails Mortuary will support you in creating the most memorable way to honor your departed with a wide variety of festivity choices. C’mon, who doesn’t love a good party where friends, family, colleagues and neighbors gather to eat, drink and be merry? We will also provide obituary services that will outshine the standard facts and figures and we will never, ever label your urn with the wrong name. Lastly, The Happy Trails Mortuary in conjunction with Happy Trails Vacations and Resorts will provide you and your support team with a complimentary 5 night stay at one of our luxury recuperation villas where you will be pampered by our full service staff 24-hours a day.

“Happy Trails Mortuary…until we meet again.”

What say you? Would you rather take stock in Kleenex and wear a black veil for months on end, or commemorate and rejuvenate after the passing of your loved one? Of course there is the third option that involves a padded room and a straight jacket, but that’s no fun alone!