Funerals are unlikely to be happy affairs. (Or, at least, any funerals I'm likely ever to attend.) At best, they are a matter of saying farewell to a loved one at the end of a long life well lived - and if the person involved had been suffering prior to death, even that can be a blessing.
But a good funeral will generally give a sense of catharsis - it puts the seal on that life well lived, lets those present say their last goodbyes, and then you move forward.
My grandmother's funeral was not such an event. Indeed, it stood in massive contrast to my grandfather's funeral - both were fairly simple affairs, both had detailed plans that were followed to the letter... indeed, both had much the same detailed plan. But that served to make the differences so stark.
Unfortunately, it was an event marred by bitterness. The rifts in the extended family have now become irretrievable, and whereas before there was a need not to let grandma or grandad see the issues at work, that is no longer the case.
Such a shame that the very last gathering of the extended family should be of that character.
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