Our Sunday was not out of the ordinary until we drove away from church on a busy street. The car bucked repeatedly, and all the emergency lights came on. John managed to rabbit-hop into the parking lot of a funeral home before it died. We were 30 miles from home. Stranded!!! As John looked up the number of AAA (roadside assistance), David and Kate ran to the front of the lot to find the address and name of the funeral home. In a matter of minutes, the dispatcher said a tow truck had just passed our location and would turn around to help us.
John would ride in the truck with the car, but what would the four of us do? We thought of the one neighbor who had a car big enough to carry us and who might be home. Angels don’t hesitate. They act. That’s exactly what Marla and Connie did. They were heading to the supermarket, so they immediately turned the car in our direction. Cars on the interstate ramp were stopped. Thinking quickly, they diverted to state roads, which took a bit more time than expected. The photo shows Kate and the boys in the shade of a tree with our sick car in the background.
A somber funeral director came out to see what we were doing. I explained that our car died and was being taken away.
“There is nothing you can do for a dead car, is there?” I said.
The man was obviously used to dealing with distraught people, but he didn’t know how to handle someone saying silly things. After a long pause, he had a good answer, “I guess the only thing we could do is wash it.”
The tension was broken when we all laughed. I asked, “Are you having a funeral this afternoon?”
Yes, there would be a viewing in half an hour, with the service an hour later. He was keeping an eye on activity in his parking lot, especially one that was not related to a human dying. It would be unseemly to have stranded motorists whooping it up as mourners gathered for a funeral. I said neighbors were coming to pick us up, after which he said we could come inside and use the restrooms. We thanked him as the tow truck pulled the car on its back. I told the boys that they were an asset. Having at least two people in their Sunday best made our presence more acceptable.
We settled on benches to wait.
Before long Marla was there, hopping out of the car to help us in. Being rescued was great, but having cheerful rescuers was far more than I requested. We were very grateful and enjoyed chatting with them on the way home.
I have praised all our neighbors before, but I need to say more. We have THE BEST!
Mehrling Muse 
❤️
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I’m thinking all those trips to NY & NJ killed it. How appropriate for it to die at the parking lot for a charnel house, it is hope you have a backup at home. Peace to the infirmed soul on four wheels. May her resurrection be swift and affordable.
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We haven’t heard what all is wrong with the car. John has used it heavily, but it shouldn’t fall apart just yet. We thought of all the places he drove recently and were grateful we landed where we did. He could have been stuck in Tennessee on the back side of nowhere, or he could have been going through the gorge. We were blessed that he could coax it up a hill to the funeral parlor. The street we had been on was a major artery on the outskirts of Asheville. We would have messed up traffic for two weeks! David is using his mother’s car to get to work, and the rest of us share ours.
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The car knew when ti stop. It was almost magical wasn’t it ? What was the issue ? Fan belt ? Over heating ?
Battery ? I am asking all these questions as we are dealing with one dead car at home right at this moment.
Everyone in their Sunday best makes them look very serious and formal. So I guess with the funeral home director it helped. It was great he allowed you all to sit down and rest awhile but the greatest mercy was the neighbours who put everything aside to rush to your aid.
Even though the day didn’t go as planned, it had a happy ending.
Hope there is good news of the car now.
Susie
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No news on the car yet. You are right, the day did have a happy ending. Our neighbors are wonderful
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The boys all looked sharp, I’m sure that didn’t hurt your situation. I hate that you have car trouble, towing and repairs can be costly, praying that’s not the case. Glad that funeral director was kind and had a good sense of humor!
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It took a few moments for that funeral man to let his humor show. I wonder if he had an argument with himself about whether to reply at all.
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I know it was a sorry plight for you and your family but I had to laugh at the irony of it all. Nice to have good neighbors. I did expect a considerable amount of your followers to hop on board with all kinds of cutesy comments. LOL but not funny to be stranded.
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After less than five minutes of sitting in a dead car, we thought of solutions. I’m not asking who all was praying, but the answers were impressive.
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lol
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Thank heaven for neighbors. And the saddest part is we really don’t have any . This area is sadly missing helpful people. Most are well up in age or to sick to be of help to anyone. This could be a problem.
Cars ,to me, are a neccessary evil just waiting to poop but we really don’t have a choice. We can’t take a strole to the grocery, or church or any where else to be honest. My grandparents lived in a peaceful little town and we could walk every where. I miss that.
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I have a feeling a retirement community is going to look better and better the older we get. We’re not ready yet.
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You must have a big pocket. hey are expensive around here.
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Actually, I wouldn’t know about prices of retirement communities. We haven’t even looked to see what things are available.
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Taking care of my 95 year old parents who can’t afford .
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Oh, my. Your burden is heavy. Do you have siblings?
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A younger sister but she has her on challenge. Her husband is a stroke patient. and she does everything for him. He has been this way for 7 or so years. He can’t move on his own, talk ,eat anything. She has been a real trouper . She does have help a couple of days a week so she can get out shop etc. and she is able to put him in VA for two week twice a year for a break. We just never know what others are dealing with do we. ?She also lives one and half hr. away from us.
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You are right. We can’t imagine the hard things others endure. My heart goes out to you and your sister.
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How ‘funny’ the car dying where it did and the guardian angels being right there! Good on your neighbours fetching you – more guardian angels!
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You mentioned guardian angels being right there when we needed them. I hadn’t thought of it before, but maybe there are always lots of angels hovering about a funeral home! I was glad they took on our problems as if they were life or death matters.
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Dying in a funeral lot! You couldn’t have planned a funnier place!
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That’s what we thought. In addition, there wasn’t a single car in the big parking lot until after our car was removed. The tow truck man had an easy job of loading ours on the truck.
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Aren’t good neighbors the best?!
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The car knew where to die on you! You couldn’t make it up – a car died at the Funeral Home!
Thank goodness for your neighbours. How wonderful that they would drop what they were doing and come and rescue you, and your family, Anne. Truly great neighbours. Such a blessing.
I hope the car is now back in the saddle and working well. I also hope that it wasn’t anything dreadful or costly!
Sending much love your way Anne. ~ Cobs. xxx
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Thanks for the get-well thoughts for the car. We haven’t heard yet if it can be repaired. The five of us cram into my car when we go somewhere together. It’s good that we get along well.
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How lucky you are for great neighbors – I don’t have that luck as you know. Is this the same car that John had problems with a month or so ago?
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Once in a while my car has problems, but John’s minivan volunteers for all the really bad things. The dealer replaced some things and screwed something too tight. A piece broke off and flailed about, damaging many other things. Needless to say, he will not go back to that dealer.
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That’s terrible Anne … luckily he was safe and not on the expressway going fast and something came loose. I remember my first car and got the tires rotated and they did not tighten the lug nuts on one side. I was driving down a residential street with my mom in the passenger side. The windows were down and the man motioned to my mom about the car by pointing to the ground. We didn’t know what he meant and he caught up with us at another light and said the lug nuts were loose and he could hear them rattling … we went to the tire store and had him fix it right away. Felt lucky that he told us about it!
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That was a lucky break!
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You’d be welcome to crash my service any day.
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You haven’t lived until your car absolutely dies right in the middle of a VERY busy intersection during rush hour. Ask me how I know. LOL. I can still remember the honking and cussing coming from the direction of other cars.
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Golly! What an experience! I’m glad we died at the funeral home.
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Wonderful story. Nice that y’all were appropriately dressed for the occasion.
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I felt our appearance helped the funeral man keep his cool.
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The silver linings, huh? Gratitude = a great attitude! 😀 Glad it turned out the way it did, thanks to a kind funeral director, and your neighbours!!
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I like your gratitude equation. There was more good news. It was the alternator that broke, and it was under warranty. Both the part and labor were free. We’ve really enjoyed having the big car when the five of us go out together.
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Yay! Love warranties!
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