From the short story (and anthology containing it) DONNY…
““From the short story (and anthology containing it) DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE : Donny acted like he didn’t hear me. “You can’t send your mom off into eternity looking like that, Artie. She wouldn’t like it.” He reached into my mother’s casket, shoved his fingers into her mouth like it was the most logical thing in the world. “Donny, you can’t --!” “I’m just making her look right, Artie. It’s what she would want.” He tugged hard at my mom’s lips. I knew they were cold because I had kissed them a few moments earlier, and for a moment I felt convinced my friend had completely lost his mind. But when I looked inside Mom’s casket I knew Donny had done something only a best friend would think to do. My mother was smiling again. And she looked just the way I remembered her, the way I would always want to remember her. I got so choked up I couldn’t talk for a few minutes. Finally I managed, “My mother always told me you could make her smile.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A friend restores a loved one's memory by making a final, intimate gesture, allowing the bereaved to see the departed as they wish to remember them.
In simple terms: A friend helps you remember a loved one positively.
Key Takeaway
Honor cherished memories with gentle acts.
Themes
grief
memory
friendship
Mood
sad
reflective
hopeful
Type
emotional
inspirational
When to use this quote
- funeral
- personal loss
- memory preservation
Key Concepts
ritual
closure
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance honoring the dead with personal comfort?
- What gestures help you keep loved ones alive in memory?
A Different Perspective
May be seen as disrespectful to the deceased's body.