Story Time: "The Cookies"

Once upon a time, an elderly man lay on his death bed. Expecting to die at any moment,he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite Oatmeal Raisin cookies wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with super-human effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands.With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for the agony of impending death, he would have thought himself already in Heaven. There, spread out upon newspapers on the kitchen table and counters, were literally hundreds of his favorite Oatmeal Raisin cookies.Was he in Heaven -- or was it one final act of love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?With one great and final effort, he threw himself toward the table,landing on his knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted;the wondrous smell of the cookie was seemingly bringing him back to life.His aged and withered hand shakily made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife. "Stay out of those,” she said, "They're for the funeral."

(Thanks to Mike Jett)