An elderly man lay dying in his bed.
In death's agony, he suddenly smelled
the aroma of his favorite chocolate
chip 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,
with even greater 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 death's agony, he would
have thought himself already in heaven
there, spread out upon newspaper on the
kitchen table were literally hundreds of
his favorite chocolate chip cookies.

Was it heaven? or was it one final act
of heroic love from his devoted wife
seeing to it that he left this world a
happy man? Mustering one great
final effort, he threw himself toward
the table, landing on his knees in
rumpled posture.

His parched lips parted; the wondrous
taste of the cookie was already in
his mouth, seemingly bringing him
back to life.

The aged and withered hand shakingly
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!"