Keep Your Fork Free Printable

 

Keep your Fork.

What the?

That’s what I thought…

when I received an email with this subject line from my folks the other day.

It made me read it though.

And, it propelled me to share it with you too.

Here’s a snippet of the email. {original source unknown}

There’s a free printable at the end too.

 

The Woman and the Fork  

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 favourite 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 symbolised 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.

 

And now I can’t stop thinking about the fork too.

 

I love stories that are passed down,

(even by emails and unknown sources)

but, especially from GRANDMAS,

and even more so when they symbolise there’s better things to come,
no matter who you are, what you believe in, how old you are, or what stage or position you find yourself in life.

Keep your Fork.

That’s a darn cool message.

(Thanks for the email guys.)

 

Days later I kept getting signs about this email…

 

I found myself,

having coffee with some old friends at Irons and Craig,

(one of my favourite coffee shops in Yamba),

which, just happens to be named after the GRANDMAS’ of the guys who own it.

And…

I blog under the names of my GRANDMA and NANNA.

And…

My beautiful aunty told me “THE BEST IS YET TO COME” on the phone the other day,

after she received my Do What You Love print in the mail.

 

So…

I took it as a sign, that I needed to create something with these words.

 

And I designed a new piece in my Yamba Scandi Collection.

I left off the punchline…

because then people will ask me what it means.

And, I’ll tell them my version of the email.

 

These products are available on Society6 in my shop, {Designed by me, made by Society6.}

I’m tossing up as to which piece to get, a laptop sleeve, (from $36), or clock ($30) for the kitchen, a pillow (from $20) or rug (from $28), what do you think?

 

 

I thought you might like a freebie too…

so I made you a Free Keep Your Fork Printable in pink.

 

And when people ask you what it means,
you can pass down your own version of the story
and tell them the punchline

…the best is yet to come.

 

We’ll be hanging with the family and cousins this weekend for Christmas in July,
wearing silly hats or jumpers, eating and drinking and laughing, getting long cuddles and telling stories, waiting for Santa to arrive to start Kris Kringle and remembering one of our favourites, Tom, who is the namesake of my blog and one of the many people who inspire me.

I can’t wait to see everyone.

 

Keep your forks guys…

The best is yet to come. x

 

Live with Love,

 

Linking up with With Some Grace, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole  and  Two Uses Tuesday

 

PS: Our house news, the plumber has been, the windows went in today and the first bricks have just started to be laid. Yay! Here’s our progress in a little Flipagram.

Tags: free printable, Keep your fork, The best is yet to come

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