Death is a thank you

From the New Zealand Herald:

Greytown’s Mary Wait likes to be prepared for her adventures – death included. The 85-year-old has hand-painted her own coffin.

Mary bought the coffin from a funeral director and painted it in 1994, although she was not expecting to die any time soon.

“I think a funeral is a way of saying thank you, death is a thank you for having lived,” Mary said.

The coffin features a young woman, a self-portrait if you have got a good imagination, Mary said, holding a cup and communion wafer, a nod to her Catholic heritage. It also features the messages “Please, please release me” and “I will love to go out to a tune of my own.”

Full article here