The funeral actually went pretty well yesterday, well as well as funerals can go at least.

It was a great turnout; there were around 250 people at the service, which was great. The service itself was very nice, although for some reason I spent most of the time in tears.

That alone was pretty odd, given that I never cry at funerals, the odd time I have, don’t tell anyone, but I’ve actually been faking it. I would prefer not to, but when it’s a member of your family you’re supposed to look desperately upset.

But this was the first time I’ve ever actually cried at a funeral…

And not just once either!

Several times during the service, twice in the car after a couple of the family spotted me from the funeral procession and started waving like maniacs to let me see they’d spotted me in case I wasn’t going to make it to the wake/reception/after-funeral-party (I never know what you’re actually supposed to call that bit of the funeral day).

Oh and again at the funeral party (or whatever it’s called) the wife of the corpse (I know, but it was the best description I could come up with) came rushing over to say hello and see how I was, and after having spoken to her on the telephone on Monday and promised not to ask her how she was managing…

Needless to say, what are the first words out of my mouth?

Yep, you guessed it, “How are you?” followed by instantly bursting into tears.

I felt like such an idiot, not only asking her that after promising not to, but then her having to tell me to stop crying, after her husband has just been buried.

*sigh*

Still, she and the rest of the family seemed to manage remarkably well, which is good…

Although it’ll be after yesterday that it’ll start to hit them, it’s always the way. Up until the funeral there’s so much to do, so many things to organise and so many people dropping in or telephoning with their condolences, there’s not really the time to stop and dwell on what’s happened. It’s after the funeral when the visits and phone calls stop, and life gets back to “normal” that it really hits you.

But they’re a very big and very close family, so I’m sure they’ll manage to look after each other.

All in all, had he not been in the coffin, I’m sure he’d have really enjoyed the day… Although I think he’d have been quite annoyed that there was a party for him and not a karaoke machine in sight, which was a pity, but I think a lot of people might have frowned on it as not being solemn enough.

Oh and I did bump into several of the people I wasn’t looking forward to seeing in case I said several choice words to them and turned the whole thing into a floor show.

Fortunately it would appear I instil such fear and dread into people for no apparent reason that they all gave me a wide birth, or in a couple of instances, took one look at me and ran away in the opposite direction.

Very odd, but, given the occasion, I’m just as pleased.