People often say that everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to kick the bucket. I reckon that's spot-on, and maybe that's why jokes about croaking and heading to the pearly gates are usually the ones that crack us up the most.

A lot of these jokes revolve around folks waiting at the heavenly gates and figuring out how to welcome people into paradise. A solid joke usually throws in a little challenge, something that gives the gatekeeper a say in whether someone gets the green light to enter or not.

We get a similar vibe in this next joke. It's about a lady who gets to be in charge at the heavenly gates, and the outcome is a real laugh riot.

A woman died, arrived in heaven, and found an angel at the pearly gates.

"How can I get in?" she asked.

"You just need to spell a word," replied the angel.

"That doesn't sound too hard. What word do I need to spell?"

"Love."

Relieved, she quickly spelled, "L-O-V-E," and the angel opened the gate.

Many months later, the angel asked the woman to watch the gate for the day.

While she was guarding the gate, her husband approached.

"Oh, my love!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you so soon?"

"My dear, I was devastated when you left. I fell into a deep depression. I couldn't sleep, eat, or do anything but mourn," he explained.

"I hope you found happiness eventually and didn't carry that pain for long," she comforted.

"Well," he replied, "There was a nurse who took excellent care of you and me. We grew close, and I eventually asked her to marry me. We were on our honeymoon when I had a terrible skiing accident."

"That's why I'm here! So, what do I need to do to get in?" he asked.

"You just have to spell a word," she told him.

"Really? What word is it?"

She replied, "Baccalaureate."