I’ve Seen It All
I’ve been to many funerals, weddings, and baptisms in my day for both family and friends, and have played many, many funerals as a musician.
The most memorable is when the brother of the deceased took a shot of liquor during his eulogy. During a church service. I don’t know if he cleared it with the minister at the time, but it surprised me.
People handle grief differently. Some cry. Some just stare blankly. Some use their cell phones, texting or whatever. Some sing. Some people need to keep busy organizing, and making sure the “event” rolls smoothly.
I usually just do my thing as a musician and go home. After you’ve been to a few funerals, you learn not even to cry anymore.
One of the best funerals was for a retired Royal Canadian Military Police officer. It’s really difficult to play the organ when you have six fully uniformed officers standing behind and one singing right in your ear. It was a nice service. There were lots of retired officers and officials that day.
Story credit: Reddit