Comments on ABroad with a View: Honesty Is All Well and Good -- So Is Funereal Dis...

Unfortunately, he 'spoke from the heart' n...

2012-01-25T17:37:01.369Z

Unfortunately, he 'spoke from the heart' not from a prepared text and his control went 'out the window'.

Yes, I absolutely agree with you...

2012-01-25T17:30:48.854Z

Yes, I absolutely agree with you...

My husband and I both felt very strange for the re...

2012-01-25T17:30:21.956Z

My husband and I both felt very strange for the rest of the day. It was good to get back home again.

That is atrocious bad taste. The son should never ...

2012-01-24T23:27:03.474Z

That is atrocious bad taste. The son should never have given the eulogy. It would have been so much better for all concerned. The son hasn't done himself any favours, he is going to feel a shit for having sad out loud what he felt at such an occasion. What a fool to allow his emotions to get the better of him at a funeral. That will be a funeral to remember for all concerned and there'll

That is so sad, you really do not need outbursts l...

2012-01-22T16:08:51.132Z

That is so sad, you really do not need outbursts like that at a funeral. I have to agree with Jean. Diane

I think he was not only grieving for the loss of h...

2012-01-22T13:54:54.594Z

I think he was not only grieving for the loss of his father but also for the relationship he wished they could have had when he was a child and never did.
He will probably regret his outburst in the future and that will only serve to add to his loss, poor man.

How awful...for everyone. SP

2012-01-22T09:30:53.414Z

How awful...for everyone.

SP

A thoughtful and beautifully written post. I hope...

2012-01-22T08:16:29.093Z

A thoughtful and beautifully written post.

I hope when the shock wears off evryone will be able to understand the outburst and see it for what it was, the outpouring of all the emotions Tony's son was feeling that he was unable to control. Grief does strange things to people.

He was also in mourning for that 'might have been' relationship with his father, which

Fortunately, Tony's life was not exactly a sec...

2012-01-22T07:05:27.858Z

Fortunately, Tony's life was not exactly a secret and the reaction of the people I spoke to was that his son's remarks were fair and balanced but that unfortunately at the end he went a bit OTT and it would have been better if he'd stopped sooner. People seemed to be very understanding.

Your words are very kind, Dee. Thank you.

The peace of reconciliation is something well wort...

2012-01-22T06:59:30.958Z

The peace of reconciliation is something well worth praying for -- The happiness in all our lives is so dependent on it.

Despite the shock, there was also a feeling of gre...

2012-01-22T06:53:07.708Z

Despite the shock, there was also a feeling of great understanding and sympathy -- which I tried to convey to him when I met him briefly later. He was so vulnerable -- there was nothing to forgive...

The dear man began his words so well and was very ...

2012-01-22T06:50:44.679Z

The dear man began his words so well and was very gracious in his thanks to others that had been close to his father. It was definitely as you say -- grief played havoc with his emotional control -- anger and love can be such a dangerous mix.

The poor man was so grief-stricken. His parents...

2012-01-22T06:45:52.440Z

The poor man was so grief-stricken. His parents' divorce was very bitter and the result of this was that the children were deprived of their father and denied access to him. But I do believe he knows his father did love him very much.

Dear Broad, Perpetual has said so well what I thou...

2012-01-22T00:18:54.466Z

Dear Broad,
Perpetual has said so well what I thought as I read about Tony and his son. Like "rosaria," I hope that everyone at the funeral was able to understand the outburst.

The following is such a fine concluding sentence for your posting: "But I hope his son's final outburst was as cathartic for him as it was painful and shocking to hear." You write

Hello Katherine: Gosh what a shock that outburst m...

2012-01-21T20:50:02.634Z

Hello Katherine:
Gosh what a shock that outburst must have been. These situations are often, rather sadly, charged with emotion which can result in some strange occurrences. Family relationships can be very complicated and strained, one can only hope for the peace of reconciliation for all concerned.

I do hope you all forgave this man and his father....

2012-01-21T20:31:31.109Z

I do hope you all forgave this man and his father. Grief makes all rational thoughts inconsequential.

Broad, in my years of taking funerals I've had...

2012-01-21T19:39:23.022Z

Broad, in my years of taking funerals I've had a number of difficult situations at funerals, but never one quite like this. I can well imagine how painful and embarrassing it was for most of those present. Grief can play havoc with emotional control, as it obviously did for Tony's son. Though it may have been cathartic for him, it's a pity that his outburst cast a shadow over the

What a touching post Broad. I hope that Tony's...

2012-01-21T18:58:37.944Z

What a touching post Broad. I hope that Tony's son will eventually be able to say...'but I loved him and he loved me...'. Thanks for sharing this. Funerals can make us look at our own mortality and hope that we're doing it right.