We buried a chap today, and I was there as part of my placement.
There's a real fear about being voyeuristic (already blogged), but with this it's even bigger - the raw emotion of the family at the graveside, the sense of loss in the church - these are not things to observe and review and analyse.
But I guess they are - to be a professional deliverer of funeral services (which I will be next year), you must understand where people are, but not to get lost in their emotional state yourself.
The chap was only 39, died of drink and drugs, left children, a parent, brother, friends. Very difficult. The wake was interesting - chance to prove to yourself that you are NOT a voyeur.
Useful day...
prydwen
Got a funeral to go to on Friday. A family do, mother's sister.
One aspect of the many family funerals that I have attended over the years is the vulture like aspect of some members that attend solely to see what they can pick up.
When my Great aunt died, two of her sisters that she had fallen out with and hadn't spoken to for over 20 years, decended on her wake and proceeded to anti out her belongings.
I felt really sad at this.