sickly saccharine euphemism
“Asleep in Jesus:” that’s what the note said about our friend. To me this phrase is a sickly saccharine euphemism suggesting that the speaker cannot use the word died, perhaps cannot come to terms with his or her own mortality. I will die. You will die. Late or soon. Dead. Doornail. Avoiding the words does not hold death at bay. I do not know what the process will be when I meet it, even though I know some of the physical markers. More often for me to be “asleep in Jesus” means snoozing in the pew.
:- Doug.
